The Cuban Meteorological Institute issued a warning this Saturday about heavy and potentially intense rainfall for the eastern region of the country, with particular attention to mountainous areas, where the rain could increase in intensity in the coming hours.
Satellite images and Cuban meteorological radar data show abundant cloud cover over the eastern region, with the heaviest rainfall concentrated towards the southwest. Meteorologist Raydel Ruisánchez, from the Provincial Meteorological Center of Havana-Artemisa-Mayabeque, specified that "precipitation will be plentiful in this region over the next few hours" and that "it could become strong and intense in certain areas, particularly in mountainous zones."
The situation is associated with the interaction of two troughs: one well-structured throughout the tropospheric column over the western region, and another at the surface in the eastern area, extending from ground level to three kilometers in height. Both systems, combined with high humidity values and local factors, generate the instability that affects the territory.
The weather forecast for this Saturday predicts cloudy skies over much of the country, with scattered showers, rainfall, and more frequent thunderstorms in the east. By nightfall, the precipitation will mainly focus from Matanzas to Holguín. High temperatures will range between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius, with lower values in areas where clouds and rain continue from the morning.
The winds will blow from the northeast in the central and western regions of the country, at speeds ranging from 10 to 25 kilometers per hour, while in the east they will remain variable and weak. The 24-hour rainfall accumulation maps recorded values of up to 93 millimeters in some areas of the affected region.
The Guantánamo Meteorological Center warned that accumulations could exceed 100 millimeters in certain regions, with a risk of river flooding due to runoff in mountainous areas and potential landslides, as reported by Radio Guantánamo.
This episode comes after meteorologist José Rubiera warned on Friday that an area of rainfall over the Caribbean could reach eastern Cuba and persist until Sunday the 25th or the early hours of Monday the 26th. The models indicate that the most significant precipitation is expected over the Dominican Republic and Haiti, although they also show impacts towards the eastern tip of Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Institute denied on Saturday that the National Civil Defense General Staff had established any Informative Phase for the Cuban territory, calling the information that circulated on social media false. Ruisánchez was explicit on this matter: "At this moment, there is no notice or alert regarding this meteorological situation."
The eastern region of Cuba has been experiencing weeks of climatic instability. At the beginning of October, firefighters rescued 11 people trapped by the flooding of the Cayo Guan river in Moa, Holguín, including two minors. The mountainous topography of the area —Sierra Maestra and the Sagua-Baracoa massif— exacerbates the risks of runoff and landslides whenever heavy rains occur.
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