Hurricane Melissa hit the southern coast of eastern Cuba on Wednesday (29) as a Category 3 hurricane, the NHC (US National Hurricane Center) reported in its latest bulletin.
Melissa was located about 60 miles west-southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, the Miami-based weather service said.
Melissa will pass directly over southeastern Cuba in the next few hours, bringing strong winds, torrential rain and a life-threatening storm surge. Its center is currently moving northeast at 16 km/h.
Water is by far the biggest threat to life and property on the island. it can reach 2.4 to 3.7 meters above normal tide levels, with large, destructive waves that further worsen flooding.
And then there’s the rain: 25 to 50 centimeters, with localized totals of up to 63 centimeters in the mountains, can trigger catastrophic flash floods and landslides, which can cause deaths and last long after the winds begin to subside.
and impacted internet service in the country. Bridges and roads were also flooded amid the storm.
According to online monitor NetBlocks, there were widespread reports of internet service interruptions across the country. The outages occurred after winds knocked down power lines, the website said.
*With information from Reuters
