Havana/In the early hours of this Monday, Cuba registered the lowest temperature of the current winter season with 1.4 degrees Celsius in the town of Indio Hatuey (west), the lowest in three decades, according to the Institute of Meteorology (Insmet).
The current record is the lowest since February 18, 1996, when the minimum of 0.6 degrees Celsius was set in Bainoa (west), the current absolute cold record for Cuba.
The notable drop in temperatures in recent days is due to the influence on the Island of a system of high migratory pressures associated with a very cold and dry air mass of Arctic origin, combined with weak winds and little cloudiness, explained the Insmet Forecast Center.
The effect of this situation was a severe drop in thermometers widespread throughout the island territory, with between 11 and 14 degrees Celsius, which in 28 meteorological stations recorded values below 10 degrees Celsius.
In the eastern region – usually warmer – the lows in Jucarito (6.8) and Holguín (7.6) stood out.
Among the most significant reports are Jagüey Grande (3.4 degrees) and Playa Girón (5), both in the western third, and Aguada de Pasajeros (4.4) and Venezuela (5.1), in the center of the country. In the eastern region – usually warmer – the lows in Jucarito (6.8) and Holguín (7.6) stood out.
For this day, the forecast indicates that the marked winter conditions will continue in Cuban territory, with maximum temperatures that will range between 18 and 21 degrees.
The arrival of a new cold front last weekend, accompanied by strong winds and swells, mainly affected the northern coast of western Cuba, where sea penetration occurred in low-lying and poorly drained areas of Havana.
This circumstance caused the evacuation of a thousand vulnerable people living in places near the emblematic Malecón that borders the coast of the Cuban capital, according to state television.
The specialists described the coastal penetrations as “moderate” although the waves – up to 4 meters – exceeded the Malecón wall and the seawater penetrated several streets within the El Vedado neighborhood, where it flooded basements and affected cisterns of residential buildings in that central area.
