Havana, May 18 (RHC) –- The intense drought in Cuba is affecting more than one million people, the official Juventud Rebelde newspaper reported Sunday, citing specialists.

The situation is being classified as "critical" in Cuba, where rainfall levels were insufficient in every region at the end of the February-April period, Weather Institute Climate Center researcher Cecilia Fonseca told the newspaper.

The areas most affected by the drought are the provinces of Pinar del Rio, in westernmost Cuba; Cienfuegos, Villa Clara and Sancti Spiritus, located in the central part of the island; and the eastern provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Camaguey, Ciego de Avila and Las Tunas.

The rainy season, when Cuba gets about 80 percent of its precipitation, is starting, but the forecast for this year "is not currently favorable," Fonseca said.