Havana Weather for July 4-10 & Hurricane Beryl Update
Rains and Some Strong Winds in the West…
By Adrian Fuentes
HAVANA TIMES – During the past few hours, Hurricane Beryl continued to weaken slightly, although it remains a Category Four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Its maximum sustained winds decreased to 230 kilometers per hour, with a central pressure of 952 millibars. At 5 PM, this system was located about 100 kilometers west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica. Beryl will be strongly affecting Jamaica today, and due to its proximity to eastern Cuba, it will cause an increase in rains in that region, as well as some strong winds and high swells.
In the past twenty-four hours, rains were isolated across much of the national territory, with insignificant accumulations. These precipitations were related to the presence of a weak upper trough extending over the western half, combined with favorable local factors.
In the coming days, cloudiness will predominate in much of the country, with showers and rains at intervals in the west starting in the morning, which can be strong in some locations. In the afternoon, the precipitations will extend to some areas of the interior and south of the capital. Winds will be from the east to northeast at speeds between 20 and 35 kilometers per hour. Relative humidity will range from 80% to 100%. High temperatures will be between 32 and 33ºC (90 and 91 F) and lows between 23 and 26ºC (73 and 79 F). The sea surface temperature will be 28ºC (82 F).
During last night and today, Hurricane Beryl has continued its rapid movement to the west-northwest, with a movement speed of up to 32 kilometers per hour. Winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere have remained unfavorable for its development, and combined with the presence of dry air, this has led to its slow weakening during this period. It remains a high-intensity hurricane, Category Four on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum sustained winds of 230 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts. Its minimum pressure has risen to 959 hectopascals.
At 5 PM Wednesday, the center of Hurricane Beryl was estimated at 17.5 degrees north latitude and 77.6 degrees west longitude, positioning it approximately 100 kilometers west-southwest of Kingston and 430 kilometers east-southeast of Grand Cayman.
In the next 12 to 24 hours, Beryl will continue to move in a similar direction, slightly decreasing its translation speed, approaching the Cayman Islands tonight after passing near or over the territory of Jamaica. The weakening trend should continue, although it will remain a high-intensity hurricane during this period.
