Second tropical cyclone warning issued due to the proximity of storm Helene to Cuba.

The Institute of Meteorology of Cuba (INSMET) issued its second tropical cyclone warning on Tuesday due to the advance of tropical storm Helene, which is moving northwest across the Caribbean Sea.

In recent hours, Helene has shown better organization, with an increase in rainfall areas around its circulation center, the monitoring center reported through its Facebook page.

It has maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h, with higher gusts, and its minimum pressure has dropped to 995 hectopascals, moving in a northwest direction at a speed of 19 km/h.

At 6:00 PM Cuba time, the center of the storm was located at 19.8 degrees north latitude and 84.9 degrees west longitude, about 235 kilometers south of Cabo San Antonio, at the western end of the country.

According to INSMET, in the next 12 to 24 hours, Helene is expected to continue its path over the western Caribbean Sea, leaning northwest tonight, and then north-northwest in the early morning on Wednesday.

In addition, it predicted that the storm will gain more intensity, with possibilities of becoming a hurricane tomorrow, Wednesday, as it moves toward the Gulf of Mexico.

The note indicated that the rains in western Cuba, which began this afternoon, will gradually increase in both the western and central regions, with precipitation that could become heavy and intense in some localities.

He indicated that those conditions will persist during the night of this Tuesday and tomorrow Wednesday, possibly extending until Thursday.

Starting from the night of this Tuesday, winds with tropical storm force are expected to begin registering in Isla de la Juventud and Pinar del Río, with speeds between 55 and 70 km/h, extending to the province of Artemisa from early morning and into the morning of Wednesday. In the westernmost part of Cuba, wind strength will increase throughout the morning.

According to the forecast, swells are expected on the southern coast, from Pinar del Río to Sancti Spíritus, which will be stronger in the Isla de la Juventud and the Canarreos archipelago.

Both coasts of Pinar del Río will also experience swells, with light to moderate coastal flooding along the southwestern shoreline.

In areas of showers and thunderstorms, there could be an increase in wind strength and wave height, even in areas far from the center of the storm, INSMET indicated.

The next tropical cyclone advisory will be issued at midnight on Wednesday.

For his part, Cuban meteorologist Raydel Ruisanchez indicated on Facebook that "the extent of tropical storm winds has increased and now extends up to 280 km east of its center."

Previously, INSMET had warned this Tuesday about the possibility of heavy rains that will affect a large part of the country, which will intensify during the afternoon and night, especially in the western region.

In the weather section of the official television program Buenos Días, it was reported that the west and center are expected to have showers, rain, and thunderstorms starting in the morning.

Likewise, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported this Tuesday that Tropical Storm Helene continues to gain strength and threatens to become a hurricane as it approaches the coast of Florida.

According to the latest forecasts, Helene is expected to reach hurricane strength when it passes near the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula this Wednesday, where a warning has already been issued due to its proximity, the NHC pointed out on the social network X.