No transportation in Havana due to the proximity of Hurricane Rafael

The Provincial Transport Company of Havana announced the suspension of public passenger transport in the province starting from the night of Tuesday, November 5, due to the imminent approach of Hurricane Rafael.

"The Provincial Defense Council has decided to suspend public passenger transport services starting at 9:00 PM today, Tuesday, November 5, until normalcy is restored," states a note published by the state entity.

The Provincial Transport Company cited "the imminent arrival of Hurricane Rafael, which will directly impact the western region, particularly Havana," as the reason.

Since nine o'clock on Tuesday night, it was only possible to see buses traveling on the return routes to the terminals.

The official information also stated that the maritime transportation of passengers in the Bay of Havana remains suspended, as previously announced.

"The company executives remain in communication with the Provincial Defense Council and the Ministry of Transport. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our passengers," the statement concludes.

Hurricane Rafael continues its advance northwest and is expected to reach intensity close to that of a "major hurricane" - that is, Category 3 - as it approaches the western region of Cuba.

According to the latest bulletin from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), as of 4:00 a.m., it was located about 190 km southeast of the Island of Youth and 310 km south-southeast of Havana.

The hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h (90 mph) and is moving northwest at a speed of 22 km/h (14 mph).

Rafael is expected to continue in this direction throughout the day, followed by a turn toward the west-northwest in the Gulf of Mexico.

Rafael could rapidly strengthen and approach the category of a major hurricane before making landfall in western Cuba today. As it crosses Cuba, it may weaken slightly, but it is expected to regain strength in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Havana, Mayabeque, Matanzas, and the Isle of Youth are under a hurricane alert.

Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, and Ciego de Ávila are under tropical storm warning.

There is also a current "tropical storm alert" for Camagüey and Las Tunas.

Currently, hurricane-force winds extend up to 30 km from the center of the system, while tropical storm-force winds reach up to 165 km, affecting a considerable area.