Tropical Hurricane Elsa hits Cuba
Tropical Hurricane Elsa has hit the eastern part of Cuba, accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds. The Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) said that heavy rain and gusts of wind were coming in Guantanamo province in the extreme east of Cuba, while torrential rain was also reported in nearby Santiago de Cuba.
About 78,000 people were evacuated before the storm in the northeastern province of Holguin.
Insmet warned, rain would intensify at some places, mainly over hilly areas and south coast.
The storm’s center, with winds reaching 100 kmph gusting to 20 kmph, is about 216 meters southeast of Cabo Cruz in the eastern province of Granma.
Civil Defense ordered alarm for 11 of Cuba’s 15 provinces, announcing measures to reduce the risk of the hurricane’s impact.
The storm, which reached sustained winds of 120 kmph, was classified as a Category 1 hurricane. It weakened slightly on the morning of July 3 and became a tropical storm.
Meanwhile, a Tropical Storm Warning is also in effect for parts of southern Haiti, Jamaica, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
Elsa is the first hurricane of the season in the Caribbean, running from June 1 to November 30, although Tropical Hurricanes Ana, Bill, Claudette and Danny formed in the region earlier. Federal forecasters said it was eventually moving toward the Strait of Florida and was expected to move near or over parts of the US state’s west coast on Tuesday.
