Hurricane heading for Cuba

A hurricane is expected to hit Cuba on Sunday, at the same time as large parts of the country's power grid are still down after Friday's collapse.

» Published:

Hurricane heading for Cuba
Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP/TT

Share this article

Some parts of the island nation have regained electricity after the country was paralyzed by a national power outage.

On Saturday, the authorities reported that 16 percent of customers had access to electricity and that they were producing 500 megawatts – a fraction of the 3,300 megawatt need that Cuba had on Thursday when the power grid began to fail.

In addition to the work of getting the electricity up and running, preparations are also being made for a hurricane expected to hit Cuba on Sunday, with heavy rainfall and wind speeds of around 140 kilometers per hour.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel writes in a social media post that the authorities in the eastern parts of the island are fighting to "protect the population and economic assets ahead of the imminent arrival of Hurricane Oscar".

Millions of Cubans were already affected on Thursday evening, local time, by the power outage, when a large part of the network stopped functioning. Large and recurring outages are common, but not total ones. On Friday, the country's largest power plant failed, resulting in a total collapse of the power grid.

The outages have prompted the government to declare a state of emergency and close schools and public institutions to reduce consumption.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Trump's Historic Second State Visit to Windsor Castle

Trump's Historic Second State Visit to Windsor Castle

Bernie Sanders Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza, Urges US Action

Bernie Sanders Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza, Urges US Action

IDF Expands Cooperation with Gaza Militias Amid Control Concerns

IDF Expands Cooperation with Gaza Militias Amid Control Concerns

Thousands Protest Trump Visit in London Urging Government to Show Backbone

Thousands Protest Trump Visit in London Urging Government to Show Backbone

50 Sudanese Refugees Die in Libya Boat Fire

50 Sudanese Refugees Die in Libya Boat Fire

Lebanon Military Seizes 64 Million Captagon Tablets in Major Raid

Lebanon Military Seizes 64 Million Captagon Tablets in Major Raid

Gaza Conflict Death Toll Surpasses 65,000

Gaza Conflict Death Toll Surpasses 65,000

EU Eases Proposed Cider Juice Content Regulations

EU Eases Proposed Cider Juice Content Regulations

Spain Arrests 19 for Torture and Murder on Migrant Boat

Spain Arrests 19 for Torture and Murder on Migrant Boat

EU Proposes Sanctions on Israel's Ministers and Trade Over Gaza

EU Proposes Sanctions on Israel's Ministers and Trade Over Gaza

Denmark Plans to Invest in Long-Range Precision Weapons

Denmark Plans to Invest in Long-Range Precision Weapons

Suspected Shooter's Texts Reveal Concerns Over Weapon and Father

Suspected Shooter's Texts Reveal Concerns Over Weapon and Father

Germany Warns Iran Over Lack of Action to Avoid UN Sanctions

Germany Warns Iran Over Lack of Action to Avoid UN Sanctions

EU Delays Climate Goals Submission Amid Member Disagreements

EU Delays Climate Goals Submission Amid Member Disagreements

Aleksey Navalny Poisoned, Widow Claims Based on New Tests

Aleksey Navalny Poisoned, Widow Claims Based on New Tests

1,600 Tourists Evacuated from Machu Picchu Amid Protests

1,600 Tourists Evacuated from Machu Picchu Amid Protests

Main Suspect in Madeleine McCann Case Released from Prison

Main Suspect in Madeleine McCann Case Released from Prison

Ukraine Reports Over 130,000 Russian Soldiers Killed in War

Ukraine Reports Over 130,000 Russian Soldiers Killed in War

Trump Welcomed by King Charles at Windsor Castle During UK State Visit

Trump Welcomed by King Charles at Windsor Castle During UK State Visit

New Escape Route Opens for Fleeing Gaza City Residents Amid Bombing

New Escape Route Opens for Fleeing Gaza City Residents Amid Bombing