Hurricane winds hit Santa Clara: Trees and power lines downed

A severe local storm struck the city of Santa Clara, in Villa Clara, on the afternoon of this Saturday, with linear wind gusts estimated to exceed 100 km/h, causing alarm among residents and damage in several areas.

Master Amaury Machado, a specialist at the Provincial Meteorological Center, confirmed that the phenomenon was recorded primarily to the southwest of the city, where strong winds caused trees to fall and disruptions in the power lines.

Neighbors indicated that the storm took them by surprise within minutes, accompanied by heavy rains that reduced visibility on the streets.

The event is part of the severe local storm season that typically affects the central part of the country during the summer months, and which at times have reached magnitudes comparable to cyclonic force winds.

"In Escambray it was intense, trees were almost completely uprooted," commented an internet user. "In the Tránsito neighborhood, it looked like a cyclone with very strong gusts of wind and hail," said another.

Meteorologists warned that this type of phenomenon could occur again in the coming days due to atmospheric instability, and they advised the public to exercise caution and stay informed through official reports.

On the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, an event is classified as a category 1 when winds reach 119 km/h to 153 km/h (74–95 mph), so the one in Santa Clara almost felt like hurricane-force winds.

This weekend, several areas have been affected by storms. A video from the independent media CubaNet showed La Calzada del Cerro, in Havana, flooded after heavy rains this Friday in Havana.

Flooding has become a regular part of daily life for many Cubans. On August 11, heavy rains caused flooded streets, stranded vehicles, and inundated homes in various areas of the Cuban capital.

The deluge, accompanied by thunderstorms, caused severe flooding in low-lying areas and places with poor drainage, such as Vía Blanca, Vento-Lacret, and Avenida del Puerto, where even a bus got stranded despite the presence of firefighters.