Tropical wave causes rain and thunderstorms in eastern Cuba.

The axis of tropical wave #25, designated as investigation area 97L, is bringing rain and thunderstorms to eastern Cuba this Friday.

The first intense rainfalls have occurred in the province of Guantánamo, detailed Cuban meteorologist Bryam Pérez Valdés on social media.

It is also raining in Santiago de Cuba.

According to the forecast from the Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) for today, "it will be mostly cloudy in the eastern region with the occurrence of some rain starting in the morning, which will extend until the evening, becoming numerous and heavy in some locations."

In the rest of the country, it will be partly cloudy and will cloud over in the afternoon with precipitation and thunderstorms from Matanzas to Ciego de Ávila, which may extend into the night.

Florida on alert

In its latest bulletin, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States alerted that "a well-defined tropical wave is producing a large area of rain and poorly organized thunderstorms over eastern Cuba, Hispaniola, the southeast Bahamas, and Jamaica, as well as the adjacent waters of the southwestern Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea."

The NHC specified that the phenomenon is expected to "move near or over Cuba throughout the day and then emerge over the Florida Straits tonight or Saturday."

From that moment on, environmental conditions will be favorable for the formation of a tropical depression near the Florida Peninsula.

The probability of formation within a 48-hour period is now 60 percent, and in the case of seven days, it rises to 90 percent.

The NHC warns that heavy rains could cause areas of flash flooding in Cuba, Florida, and the Bahamas over the weekend.

In anticipation of the possible conversion of the tropical wave into a tropical depression and the heavy rains associated with the phenomenon, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 54 counties in the state.

Miami-Dade is not included among the states in the alert.