Heavy rains, hail, and tornadoes affect Cuba

A day marked by extreme phenomena affected several provinces of Cuba this Tuesday and will continue in the coming hours, leaving behind material damage, power outages, and growing concern about the continuation of unstable conditions.

Yesterday, the most affected provinces were Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Matanzas, Villa Clara, and areas of the special municipality Isla de la Juventud.

Since the afternoon hours, thunderstorms were recorded accompanied by strong gusts of wind, heavy rains, and in some areas, hailstorms.

Images of fallen trees, flooded streets, and roofs torn off by the winds circulated on social media. Residents in municipalities such as Consolación del Sur, Güira de Melena, and Nueva Gerona reported power outages and damage to crops and light housing.

The Institute of Meteorology had warned since the beginning of the week about the presence of a trough in the middle and upper levels of the atmosphere, as well as a high moisture content and temperatures above 30 degrees, factors that created an ideal scenario for the formation of severe storms.

In various parts of Pinar del Río, winds exceeded 70 km/h. Hailfall was also reported, a rare but not unprecedented phenomenon at this time of year.

Report for today Wednesday, March 26: severity continues in western Cuba

Today, at 17:22, the weather observer at the San Juan y Martínez station reported a severe local storm, characterized by hail and wind gusts estimated between 70 and 80 km/h, as well as heavy rain and lightning.

Hours earlier, a tornado was sighted near the town of Chamizo, in Pinar del Río, although its duration was only a few minutes.

These unstable conditions continue to be associated with a trough in the middle and upper levels of the troposphere, along with sufficient moisture content and strong daytime heating, as well as local factors that contribute to instability.

We thank Humberto Raúl Acosta González, meteorology specialist in the province of Pinar del Río, for his valuable information and the images provided.