Havana, July 3 (RHC)-- The Institute of Meteorology reports in its TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING No.8. that during the night of Tuesday and this morning, Hurricane Beryl has continued its rapid movement to the west-northwest, with a translational speed that has decreased slightly to 31 kilometers per hour.

The winds at the upper levels of the atmosphere have remained unfavorable for its development, which, together with the presence of dry air, has led to its slow weakening in this period.

It continues to be a hurricane of great intensity, 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 946 hectopascals.

The center of Hurricane Beryl was estimated at six in the morning at 16.7 degrees north latitude and 74.7 degrees west longitude, a position that places it approximately 260 kilometers east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica and 470 kilometers southeast from Cabo Cruz, Granma.

In the next 12 to 24 hours, Beryl will continue moving on a similar course, slightly decreasing its speed, approaching Jamaica at the end of Wednesday morning, where it must cross in the early afternoon. Its center will travel very close to or over the south of said island. The weakening trend should continue, although it will remain a hurricane of great intensity during this period.

On its path through the seas south of eastern Cuba, there will be an increase in winds in the eastern region, which this afternoon can reach sustained speeds between 40 and 55 kilometers per hour with higher gusts in the south of Granma. In the rest of the eastern region the winds will be between 20 and 35 kilometers per hour, higher in gusts. Starting at dawn on Thursday and early in the morning of that day, the strength of the wind may increase in Isla de la Juventud and the western end of the country, with speeds between 30 and 45 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts.

In the eastern region, cloudy weather will predominate, with showers, rain and some thunderstorms, which can be strong in some locations, mainly in mountainous areas. At the end of the afternoon and night, some rain may also occur in the south of the central region, due to the circulation of the outermost bands associated with this cyclonic organism, in which it is not ruled out that heavy rain may occur.

There will be storm surges on both coasts of the eastern region, which from the afternoon will increase to strong storm surges in the south of Granma and the coastal area of ​​the Guamá municipality in Santiago de Cuba, with light to moderate coastal flooding. These swells will extend from early Thursday morning to the south of the center and later to the west in the morning of that day, where they will become strong in the south of Isla de la Juventud, the Canarreos archipelago and the western end of Cuba , with light to moderate coastal flooding in low areas of this coastline.

The next tropical cyclone warning about this system will be issued at six pm today, Wednesday.   (Source: ACN)