Hurricane IDA Moves Away from Cuba

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, Nov. 8 – Hurricane Ida begins to make its way into the Yucatan Channel and on into the Gulf of Mexico, with the storm passing closer to Mexico and further from Cuba.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) based in Miami shows the eye of the storm just off the Mexican coast and a hurricane warning is in effect from Playa del Carmen to Cabo Catoche.

Cuba’s far western Pinar del Rio province continues on alert for Tropical Storm conditions and a watch is also in effect on the Isle of Youth.

Sea swells are expected on Cuba’s north coast in the western and central part of the island and on the southwest coast and Isle of Youth.

According to the NHC forecast cone, after entering the Gulf of Mexico, Ida will head north and at present is aimed to strike the US Gulf Coast early Tuesday somewhere from New Orleans or further east.

At 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Cuba time, Hurricane Ida packs 90 mph (150 kms) winds and is moving northwest at a speed of 10 mph.  Cuban weather experts noted that the storm could continue to gain in intensity and reach a category two hurricane status on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

The next report from the Cuban Meteorological Institute INSMET will come at 12:00 noon.