The Forecast Center of the Cuban Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) reported that Tropical Storm Oscar will leave Cuban territory by moving out to sea along the northern coast of Holguín during the afternoon-evening of this Monday.
The INSMET bulletin number 14 indicates that this phenomenon, which has affected the eastern region of the country with intense rains and strong winds, will begin to move away in the late afternoon, although its effects will still be felt in the coming hours.
Additionally, it was indicated that the rains, showers, and thunderstorms associated with Oscar will continue to affect a large part of the eastern provinces, with particular intensity in some mountainous areas.
The winds, which have reached between 45 and 60 kilometers per hour with higher gusts, are expected to gradually decrease once the storm hits the sea.
However, ocean swells and possible coastal flooding will continue in the provinces of Holguín and Las Tunas, noted INSMET.
Oscar has slightly increased its translational speed to 9 kilometers per hour and has now tilted its course to the northwest.
The center of the tropical storm was estimated at three in the afternoon at 20.7 degrees North latitude and 75.9 degrees West longitude, a position that places it 25 kilometers west of Mayarí and 25 kilometers southwest of Antilla, both localities in Holguín.
Meteorological authorities urge the population of eastern Cuba to remain attentive to the trajectory of Oscar, especially given the risk of heavy rains that could cause flooding in vulnerable areas.
Before weakening and turning into a storm, Hurricane Oscar, as it passed through Guantánamo, destroyed coffee, banana, and tomato plantations, reported the official newspaper Venceremos.
The news portal reported that "almost all the ripe coffee" was lost due to the onslaught of rain and winds. A preliminary assessment states that 40,000 cans ended up on the ground.
Hurricane Oscar made landfall in Baracoa on Sunday around 5:50 pm, leaving shocking images in its wake.
The destruction caused by winds of around 130 km/h is visible in this city: houses and businesses without roofs, uprooted trees, destroyed crops, and damaged electrical lines are some of the images left by the storm.
The Cuban government reported that, on a preliminary basis, there are more than a thousand houses with damage in several municipalities of the province of Guantánamo.
The well-known La Farola road, which connects the municipalities of Imías and Baracoa through a winding mountain route, was cut off due to landslides caused by the rains.
The municipality of Maisí in Guantanamo was also among the most affected by Hurricane Oscar, which is now downgraded to a storm.
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