Western Cuba alert to deteriorating weather conditions

 

PINAR DEL RIO, Cuba, Dec 15 (ACN) Protecting the population and the resources of the economy is always a priority in the western province of Pinar del Rio in the face of the threat of a hydrometeorological event, hence the announced deterioration of the weather this weekend forces to take measures at all levels.

In a videoconference of the temporary working group with the territories, it was decided to activate the 11 management posts of the municipal governments, the commissions for the protection of the population and the coordination posts in the popular councils in view of the possibility of heavy rains and winds.

The 45 % of the houses affected by the passage of recent tropical cyclones still have no solution in the province, so Eumelin Gonzalez Sanchez, governor of the province, insisted on attending to each case and evacuating people if required.

Among the actions outlined above are to speed up the collection of solid waste and to carry out cleaning and sanitation works, to protect the existing resources in the commerce units and to extend the sale hours of the warehouses in order to ensure the safety of the regulated family basket of goods.

Ortelio Rodriguez Perugorría, sub-delegate of Agriculture, pointed out in this sense the protection of the cure houses and the reinforcement of the areas of covered tobacco against the possible strong winds.

The Forecast Center of the Institute of Meteorology warned about the formation, on Friday, of an extratropical low in the Gulf of Mexico, which will quickly intensify and will maintain its influence during the next few days over the western region of Cuba.

During its northeasterly movement, the extensive circulation of this extratropical low, with an associated cold front, is expected to produce showers, rains and thunderstorms that could become strong and heavy in some localities.

Severe local storms are not ruled out, Institute of Meteorology warned.