Heavy rains and storms were recorded during the night and early in the Cuban West and, in particular, in Havanawhere sudden floods have been reported in several areas at a time when the city suffered blackouts record.
Precipitation, present from the afternoon in Pinar del Río, the island of youth and the seas to the south of Cuba, were increasing their intensity and extending progressively to Artemis, Mayabeque and the Cuban capital, according to Meteorological reports.
This situation is due to a trough that extends through the Gulf of Mexico, which has generated a “great atmospheric instability and high values of relative humidity in the region”, As explained The artemiseño meteorologist Raydel Ruisanz.
The specialist reported on their networks That Mariel’s station registered an accumulated 58.2 millimeters in an hour, as well as a 67 km/h wind streak, while there were also reports of heavy rains in Güira de Mamena and in Havana.
This phenomenon, warned Ruisanz, involved “a high risk of sudden floods in low areas and with poor drainage, especially in the capital. ”
Indeed, reports on social networks account for floods in several habanero areas as a result of rainfall.
Network users have shared images of thunderstorms and flooded streets, among the latter Tamarindo Street Before reaching the white road, on the hill.
Record blackouts
The heavy rains and storms in the Cuban west coincided with massive blackouts in the capital and the rest of the country, amid the worsening of the energy crisis suffered by the island.
Havana Electric Company had reported from the afternoon of a severe affectation that prevented the fulfillment of the established programming and off circuits from all the blocks of the city. This affectation was ascending from about 200 MW to a 366 MW peak, the highest negative record reported to date in Havana.
Thenthe entity assured that the service would be restored during the rest of the night and early “consequently with the emergencies of the SEN (national electrical system), giving greater priority to the circuits with the greatest extension of affectation.”
Already during the early morning the affectation was decreasing, although it remained high, and it also added blackouts in specific areas due to breakdowns and shots of circuits caused by rainfall and storms, according to the electric company in its Telegram channel.
However, around 6:00 am four of the six blocks in which Havana is divided, “due to the high deficit and little generation availability.”
This scenario, repeated throughout the country, has as a trigger the fall in availability due to breakdowns and maintenance in the aging and superxplicated thermal units, as well as the lack of fuel for the distributed generation.
Electric Union (UNE) He had estimated A maximum affectation for this Tuesday of 1880 MW, however this was much higher in practice and climbed up to 2052 MW. This is the second largest historical affectation – there are 2 MW below the record of last July 21-, due to new breakdowns in thermal blocks and the non -incorporation of the Fuel del Mariel engines.
For todaythe availability will even be less than that initially scheduled yesterday, due to the disconnection of nine generating units – of which two should be incorporated in peak schedule – and an increase in effects due to lack of fuel and lubricants.
With this, the deficit will approach the 2000 MW again and the blackouts will continue without giving truce to the Cubans.
