A severe local storm with hail, strong winds, and numerous lightning strikes hit the center of Camagüey this Friday afternoon, as had been forecasted by the provincial Meteorological Center.
The phenomenon was documented and reported by the Meteorological Center of Camagüey, affiliated with CITMA and the Provincial Government, which issued the first alert for a Severe Local Storm at 4:10 PM, warning of a strong line of active storms in the central and northern parts of the province.
The local Weather Station recorded a total precipitation of 42.3 mm and maximum winds of 68 km/h from the northwest during the event.
The hail that fell in the city center was described by meteorological authorities as being comparable in size to a pea, accompanied by heavy rain and lightning strikes that several residents confirmed witnessing.
The torrential rains caused flooding in the low-lying areas of the territory, particularly affecting the more central part of the city.
A witness who recorded the hailstorm from the Parque Agramonte, in the historic heart of the city, described the moment as "What a tremendous hailstorm with movie-like winds!"
At 4:20 PM, the Meteorological Center reported an additional and unusual element: the occurrence of a waterspout aloft near Ignacio Agramonte International Airport.
A waterspout aloft is a visible vortex hanging from a cumulonimbus cloud without making contact with the ground; if it reaches the surface, it is classified as a tornado.
The event on Friday is part of a pattern of atmospheric instability that has repeatedly affected Camagüey during the rainy season of 2026.
On July 10, a hailstorm brought down trees and caused power outages that affected the circuits of the Provincial Hospital and the Oncological Hospital in the city.
Before that episode, on June 13, a storm with pea-sized hail impacted the Los Coquitos neighborhood, and on April 24, large hail fell for about six minutes in Ingenio Viejo.
The province also recorded waterspouts on May 29 in Florida and June 15 in Vertientes, in both cases without making landfall or causing damage.
The Meteorology Institute (INSMET) projected for the summer of 2026 temperatures above the historical average and rainfall close to the norm, conditions that favor the formation of convective cells with significant vertical development capable of producing hail, intense winds, and water spouts.
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