Cuba on T-Storm Watch in Pinar Del Rio

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, Nov. 7 – The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami is showing a Tropical Storm Watch for Cuba’s far western province of Pinar del Rio on Saturday.

Ida reentered the Caribbean on Friday and is now on course for the Yucatan Channel that separates Mexico from Cuba.

While the NHC is now predicting the eye of the storm will most likely pass through the relatively narrow Yucatan Channel,  both the Yucatan and Cuba’s Pinar del Rio are alterted to be on guard for possible heavy rains and coastal flooding.

The storm will come closest to Cuba sometime Sunday before heading north on a route that could take it close to New Orleans, whose mayor, Ray Nagin was in Cuba recently to study the island’s civil defense system.

Ida’s current speed of 8 MPH with 45 MPH maximum sustained winds.