MADRID, Spain.- The Cuban Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) reported At 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 26, Hurricane Helene increased in intensity during the early morning as it moved across the Gulf of Mexico. The meteorological phenomenon has reached maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts, making it a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
At 6:00 am the center of the Hurricane Helene Helene was located at 24.3 degrees north latitude and 86.1 degrees west longitude, which placed it about 300 kilometers northwest of Cape San Antonio, the westernmost point of Cuba, and 535 kilometers southwest of Tampa, Florida. Helene has maintained a north-northeastward course, moving at a speed of 19 kilometers per hour, and is expected to continue its path east of the Gulf of Mexico, increasing both its speed and its intensity.
During the early morning, sustained winds of 60 kilometers per hour were reported at the Casablanca meteorological station in Havana. In Santa Lucía, Pinar del Río, gusts of up to 101 kilometers per hour were recorded, while in Casablanca they reached 92 kilometers per hour and in Cienfuegos, 70 kilometers per hour.
In the early morning hours, rains persist in the western and central regions of the country, with greater intensity in the west, where rainfall is expected to be strong and intense in some localities. In addition, southerly winds in the western region blow at speeds of between 40 and 55 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts.
INSMET also warned that the swells continue to affect the southern coast of the provinces from Pinar del Río to Sancti Spíritus, with strong swells south of Isla de la Juventud, the Canarreos archipelago and both coasts of the province of River Pine Forest. Light to moderate coastal flooding has been reported on the southwestern coast, with a risk of worsening in the coming hours.
In areas of showers and thunderstorms, weather conditions could worsen, causing an increase in wind speed and wave height, even in areas far from the center of the hurricane.
The impact of Helene has already been strongly felt in the province of Pinar del Río, where the number of people without electricity has risen to 75,544 during the morning of this Thursday, according to the official journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso.
In the town of Cortés, south of the municipality of Sandino, several homes suffered severe damage, with reports of total collapses and the loss of the roof of a house, according to official media confirmed on social media.
The Cuyaguateje River, located in Pinar del Río, overflowed its banks and rose more than seven metres, forcing the evacuation of the inhabitants of the People’s Council of Isabel Rubio. Eight families had to be moved to the homes of relatives and acquaintances to ensure their safety from the risk of flooding.
The Meteorological Institute will issue a new information report at noon today to update on the evolution of Hurricane Helene.
