Three severe local storms were recorded this Saturday in the municipalities of Camagüey and Las Tunas, featuring strong gusts of wind, lightning, and hail.
The meteorological events took place in the municipalities of Minas and Nuevitas in Camagüey, and Puerto Padre in Las Tunas, during the afternoon, as reported by meteorologist Miriam Teresita Llanes during the evening broadcast of the National Television News. Llanes explained that these events were due to "the presence of a trough that has increased cloud activity, with heavy showers and thunderstorms." On the satellite map, the specialist pointed out the "abundant cloudiness" in the eastern half of Cuba and emphasized that there was also significant shower and thunderstorm activity in the western part of the country.
The Facebook profile "El tiempo en Camagüey (AALM)" reported that between 1:20 and 1:25 p.m. on Saturday, one of the local storms occurred in the town of Lugareño in Minas, where "small hailstones, compared to the size of a bean" fell. Another storm hit the community of La Oriental de San Miguel in the municipality of Nuevitas, generating "abundant rains, lightning, strong gusts of wind, and small hailstones."
In the publication, a resident commented that in Central Lugareño, near Nuevitas, hail also fell and there were strong wind gusts. Additionally, the Facebook page "Centro de Control de Observación Atmosférica del Caribe" posted a satellite image showing, at 4:50 p.m., "severe storm cores over the northern Las Tunas, Sancti Spíritus, Pinar del Río, and Artemisa."
Mid-month, thunderstorms, showers, and rains were recorded in the province of Artemisa, with greater intensity in localities such as Güira de Melena, where a severe storm occurred with hail the size of a chickpea.
Severe Weather in Cuba: Key Questions and Answers
In light of the recent severe weather events in Cuba, here are some important questions and answers to help understand the situation better.
What caused the severe local storms in Camagüey and Las Tunas?
The severe local storms were caused by the presence of a trough, which increased cloud activity and led to heavy showers and thunderstorms.
Which areas were most affected by the storms?
The areas most affected were the municipalities of Minas and Nuevitas in Camagüey, as well as Puerto Padre in Las Tunas. Additionally, there was significant activity in northern Las Tunas, Sancti Spíritus, Pinar del Río, and Artemisa.