Havana, September 25 (RHC)-- Tropical storm Helene, which became a Category One hurricane on Wednesday morning, brought strong winds and heavy rain as it passed near Cuba, a situation that persists in the west and center of the island.

The network of meteorological stations of the Institute of Meteorology (Insmet) and the rain gauges of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources reveal that in the last 24 hours, accumulations of more than 100 millimeters were recorded in 44 localities.

The rainfall was heavy and intense in the provinces of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, Villa Clara and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud.

The largest accuHavana, September 25 (RHC)-- Tropical storm Helene, which became a Category One hurricane on Wednesday morning, brought strong winds and heavy rain as it passed near Cuba, a situation that persists in the west and center of the country.mulations were in the Herradura reservoir, with 218.4 millimeters, followed by 194.9 millimeters at the Paso Real meteorological station in San Diego, and 194.1 millimeters at the La Bija reservoir, all in the western province of Pinar del Río.

During the morning of this Wednesday, the wide circulation of Helene generated sustained winds of up to 60 kilometers per hour at the Isabel Rubio meteorological station (Pinar del Río), where gusts of up to 88 kilometers per hour were reported.

Strong gusts were also reported in two other towns in Pinar del Río: 79 kilometers per hour in San Juan and Martínez, and 70 kilometers per hour in Santa Lucía.

According to Insmet, in the next few hours the hurricane will continue to move through the Yucatan Channel and the southeast of the Gulf of Mexico, inclining its path to the north and north-northeast at the end of the day and will slightly increase its speed of translation, gaining in intensity.

Experts predict that for the rest of the day, rainfall will continue in the western and central regions of the country, which will be strong and intense in some localities, and will probably persist until Thursday.

They add that the swells will continue on the southern coast from Pinar del Río to Sancti Spíritus (center of the country), and will become strong south of Isla de la Juventud and the Canarreos archipelago, as well as on both coasts of the Pinar del Río territory, with light to moderate coastal flooding on the southwestern coast.

Insmet warned that in the areas of showers and thunderstorms there may be an increase in the strength of the wind and the height of the waves, even in areas far from the center of circulation of Helene. (Source: Prensa Latina)