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The National Chief of the Civil Defense issued an early warning on Wednesday regarding Tropical Storm Melissa, which poses a potential threat to Cuban territory.
In the statement, the DC emphasized the need for the eastern and central provinces of the country to maintain strict monitoring of the possible trajectory and development of the system.
It also guided the need to continuously transmit information and guidance to the population through media outlets and official social media profiles, in addition to using alternative means that facilitate direct contact with the community, prioritizing areas that are difficult to access.
He also indicated to coordinate the use of drones and the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Centers, alongside their Early Warning Points.
These guidelines from the Civil Defense to keep the population informed contrast sharply with the energy crisis the country is experiencing, where power outages of up to 20 hours a day hinder access to information channels and even the ability to charge mobile phones and other devices, which are essential tools for staying updated on weather alerts and official guidelines.
According to the analysis conducted with the Forecast Center of the Meteorology Institute, the storm is located at 14.3 degrees North latitude and 74.0 degrees West longitude, placing it about 510 kilometers south of Kingston, Jamaica.
Melissa has maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour, with stronger gusts and a central pressure of 1000 hectopascals. It is moving in a direction close to west-northwest, with a translational speed of 4 kilometers per hour.
In the coming days, the system will slowly move over the central Caribbean Sea, south of the Greater Antilles.
Oceanic and atmospheric conditions will become more favorable for its intensification, posing a potential threat to our geographical area.
The National Hurricane Center warned in its latest report that tropical storm Melissa is continuing to reorganize over the warm waters of the central Caribbean and could reach a higher category (three or above) over the weekend as it heads toward the area south of Cuba.
He emphasized that the projected paths have become more dangerous for the Island, with a shift that would take the system further into the Caribbean after passing south of Jamaica, the report warned.
The notice indicates that, although Melissa is still seen as disorganized, a gradual strengthening is expected and that the system may reach hurricane status by Friday; rapid intensification could turn it into a major hurricane by Sunday.
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