Havana, June 28 (EFE).- The Institute of Meteorology (Insmet) of Cuba reported this Friday that it maintains a “close surveillance” on the second tropical depression of the current cyclone season in the Atlantic Ocean, which is estimated to be become a hurricane this weekend.
The depression – which on Saturday would be tropical storm Beryl – is located about 1,970 kilometers east-southeast of the island of Barbados, the easternmost of the Lesser Antilles, according to the first tropical cyclone warning issued by the Insmet forecasting center.
This weather system is moving close to the west at a rate of 33 kilometers per hour and as it advances it is accompanied by sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts. Cuba is to the north, but close, of their possible trajectories.
According to the forecast, in the next 12 to 24 hours it should continue moving west-northwest and is expected to gain more in organization and intensity, so on Sunday it will reach the category of hurricane, before reaching the arc of the Lesser Antilles, eastern limit of the Caribbean Sea.
The 2024 cyclone season in the North Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, valid from June 1 to November 30, will be “very active” with the possible formation of 20 tropical storms, according to Insmet.
It also assumes that at least eleven of the cyclones could become hurricanes, because the prevailing conditions in the area are favorable for the formation and development of tropical cyclones.
Last year, Cuban experts predicted a “moderate” season that ultimately exceeded expectations with the formation of 17 tropical storms, including six hurricanes. In 2022, eight hurricanes formed, including Ian, which hit western Cuba in September with category three – out of five – and winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
The last time a major hurricane hit Cuba was in 2017 when Irma moved parallel to the island’s northern coast and caused ten deaths and material losses officially valued at 13.185 billion dollars. EFE
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