Havana, Oct 20 (EFE). – Hurricane Oscar made landfall in Cuba on Sunday at 6:10 pm local time near Baracoa, in the northeastern corner of the island, according to the Cuban Meteorological Institute (Insmet).<\/p>
Oscar, a Category 1 hurricane, out of 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, has maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour with higher gusts, according to the Insmet.<\/p>
Rain and thunderstorms have been reported in the eastern provinces, with 123.5 millimeters recorded at the Punta de Mais\u00ed station between 8 am and 4 pm. <\/p>
Over the next few hours, rains, showers, and thunderstorms will continue, becoming heavy and intense in some regions and mountain areas. <\/p>
Accumulated rainfall could reach between 100 and 200 millimeters in the provinces of the eastern region.<\/p>
Strong storm surges and coastal flooding are also expected in Guant\u00e1namo, Holgu\u00edn, and Las Tunas.<\/p>
Authorities placed the provinces of Guant\u00e1namo, Santiago de Cuba, Holgu\u00edn, Granma, and Las Tunas on hurricane alert, while Camag\u00fcey remains on alert and Ciego de Avila on information.<\/p>
Oscar’s arrival comes just over two days after Cuba suffered a total blackout, from which it is just beginning to recover.<\/p>
Due to the power cuts and the hurricane, the Cuban government has suspended non-essential administrative and educational activities throughout the country until Wednesday.<\/p>
The authorities also urged the population to stay informed through the national media and to follow the instructions of local authorities.<\/p>
Oscar became a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday after accelerated intensification and has already affected the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas.<\/p>
It is the 15th tropical storm of the current Atlantic hurricane season.<\/p>
The US and Cuban weather services warned months ago that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November, would be particularly active. EFE<\/p>
jpm\/mcd<\/p>
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