Heavy rains, gusts of wind, and flooding in Pinar del Río due to Hurricane Helene.

The rains and winds associated with Hurricane Helene are already affecting the western part of Cuba and are expected to intensify in the coming hours, extending even to the central region, according to the latest Tropical Cyclone Alert from the Institute of Meteorology (INSMET).

Intense rains have caused light flooding in some areas, mainly on the southern coast. In Cabo de San Antonio, the westernmost tip of the country, waves measuring between three and five meters have been recorded.

Images published by local media in Pinar del Río show the fury of the sea in Boca de Galafre, in the municipality of San Juan y Martínez, where there have been reports of swells and minor flooding, as well as maximum sustained winds of 40 km/h and gusts exceeding 68 km/h.

The highest accumulations from 8 PM yesterday to 5 AM today were reported nationwide in: Punta del Este, Isla de la Juventud with 101 millimeters; Paso Real de San Diego (78), Pinar del Río (72), and Isabel Rubio (70), with the last three territories located in the province of Pinar del Río.

In some Vueltabajo territories, such as El Palenque, the road access has been cut off due to the flooding.

Of the 24 reservoirs in the province, 17 are overflowing, and in general, they are at 93 percent of their capacity.

However, according to information provided by the Temporary Working Group during the afternoon session this Tuesday, the reservoirs in Pinar del Río can hold more than 95 million cubic meters of water.

According to official data, the network of rain gauges from Recursos Hidráulico recorded significant rainfall accumulations over 20 hours: 218.4 millimeters (mm) in Presa Herradura; 186.8 mm in Los Palacios; 167 mm in La Juventud; and 151.3 mm in Sitio Peña.

Images from Cortés and Ciudad Sandino show flooding resulting from the rains that occurred in the last few hours.

According to the Forecast Center of the Institute of Meteorology, the rains will continue in the western and central regions of Cuba, which could become strong and intense in some localities, possibly persisting until Thursday.

Regarding the winds, tropical storm strength will be reported in Isla de la Juventud and Pinar del Río, with speeds between 55 and 70 kilometers per hour, which may extend in the morning to the province of Artemisa.

In the western part of Cuba, wind strength will increase starting from the early hours of tomorrow, Wednesday. In the other western provinces, speeds will range between 40 and 55 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts.

There will be swells along the southern coast of the provinces from Pinar del Río to Sancti Spíritus, which will reach strong swells south of Isla de la Juventud and the Canarreos archipelago, as well as on both coasts of the province of Pinar del Río, with coastal flooding ranging from light to moderate in the southwestern coastal area.

Tropical storm Helene became a category 1 hurricane this Wednesday and continues to gain strength rapidly in the Caribbean Sea as it moves toward the northwest coast of Florida, which is already preparing with school closures and evacuations due to the risk of heavy rain and storm surges.

Helene now has maximum sustained winds of 130 km/h and is moving north-northwest at 17 km/h, which indicates that it has slightly increased its translation speed.

The NHC has warned that Helene will be an unusually large storm, with rains, storm surges, and winds impacting areas far from its center. States like Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana could experience heavy downpours.

Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1.