Cuba’s Transportation Ministry cancelled the service and operations in several international airports on Tuesday evening due to the threatening passage of tropical storm Rafael.

Cuba’s National Civil Defense authorities issued a tropical storm alert (watch) Tuesday at 5 pm local time, for the central regions of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus, given the expected track of storm Rafael.

Cuban Prime Minister and member of the Communist Party Politburo addressed a Council of Ministers meeting on Tuesday to alert that nobody should be overconfident amidst the passage on Cuba by storm Rafael, he predicted huge damage given the track of the storm.
It's better if we take extra measures than falling short in taking action in this situation, he said.

Chaired by Miguel Diaz-Canel, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the country, and led by Manuel Marrero Cruz, Cuban PM, the Council of Ministers today checked the measures taken to face the passage of Cyclone Rafael with each of the provinces on cyclone alert.

Havana Provincial Transportation Company reported the suspension of the boat service in Havana Bay from 10:20 a.m. today.

Authorities of the National Civil Defense Staff, the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, the Institute of Meteorology and the Government of Havana will attend Tuesday's Mesa Redonda to report on the country's actions to face the threat of Hurricane Rafael to the west and center of the country and the persistence of rains in the eastern part of the national territory.

This time the territory will not escape from the force of winds and heavy rains of tropical storm Rafael, probably hurricane when it reaches Cuba, so the agriculture of Artemisa is preparing, in order to protect the productions and ensure the resources.

The member of the Provincial Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba in Granma, Tania Heredia de la Guardia, urged in this city, to maintain vigilance and promptly fulfill the tasks of preparation in the face of the threat of tropical storm Rafael.

The presence of tropical storm Rafael constitutes a potential danger for western Cuba, declared in a state of alert due to the fact that it is gaining in organization and intensity in the central Caribbean Sea.

As part of the preventive measures in view of the imminent passage of tropical storm Rafael through western Cuba, teaching activities were suspended in all territories in the cyclonic alert phase.

Cuban Institute of Meteorology reports in its Tropical Cyclone Warning No. 4 that during the early hours of this morning, tropical storm Rafael, located in the central Caribbean Sea has gained in organization and intensity.

Miguel Diaz-Canel, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the country, checked on Monday with each of the provinces on alert the measures taken to face the passage of tropical storm Rafael.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez conveyed his Tanzanian counterpart Mahmoud Thabit Kombo the island’s willingness to further expand bilateral relations.

More than 700 exhibitors from 63 nations are attending Havana’s International Trade Fair, which proves the event’s interest at the world level.

 On Monday at 3 pm, local Cuba time, the island’s Civil Defense Authority issued a Storm Watch (Alert) for all western territories from Pinar del Rio to Matanzas province in the face of the development of Tropical Depression 18, which was moving northwards to the South of Jamaica.