Havana, June 19 (PL-RHC) -- Climate change has increased the possibilities Cuba is hit by more intense hurricanes, said José Rubiera, Chief of the national forecasting center at the Cuban Meteorology Institute.

During the period 1995-2013, the highest level of cyclone activity since 1886 was registered, he said at the 9th International Congress on Disasters which started Wednesday at the Convention Center in Havana and will last until June 20th.

Rubiera stressed the climate is changing and, consequently, Cuba could expect more powerful and rainy hurricanes.

Hurricanes represent the biggest threat for Cuba and the Caribbean, he said, adding we could only face the threat through adaptation strategies.

In this sense, Rubiera highlighted the relation among the Forecasting Center, the Meteorology Institute, the Civil Defense and the media, as well as the people's actions, which he defined as a cornerstone for the protection of lives and the economy.

As a result of this interconnection, the death toll left by hurricanes in Cuba is the lowest in the American continent, despite the great cyclone activity in the area since 1995, he said.