Hurricane Irma - Keep an Eye on it's path.

[wolfcub]

Even though it's still with the cone, the latest forecast from a few minutes ago is saying that it looks like it will stay well north of Cuba and go between Cuba and the Bahamas and then into Florida.  I'm sure Cuba will still have tropical storm force winds but they can handle that I think.

[greslogo]

"Computer models show the system eventually heading near the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba on Friday into Saturday"

This looks REALLY bad for the North coast. With the eye still overt water, this storm is not going to diminish in strength.

Currently listening to Radio Taino over the Internet

[Mividamialma]

Hurricane José has now formed behind Irma and they are tracking it's projected path towards the Caribbean again.

[Mividamialma]

Still out there but watching it as it moves along
http://abc11.com/weather/hurricane-jose-forms-in-the-atlantic/2378259/

[helen31]

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/powerful-hurricane-irma-threatens-caribbean-florida-cuba/85844

[quepasa]

Looks like it goes more and more to the north, avoiding Cuba. Fingers crossed.

[wolfcub]

I think it might bring some much needed rain to the eastern part of the country.

[Mividamialma]

I think it might bring some much needed rain to the eastern part of the country.

Agreed, I know the farm could use it but it would be nice if it would leave the roofs intact...lol

[quepasa]

I think it might bring some much needed rain to the eastern part of the country.

Sad to say, not so much rain as hoped for according to the prognosis.

[Mividamialma]

Incredible!
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/hurricane-irma-dominican-republic-cuba-poor-communication-holidays-florida-thomas-cook-cayo-coco-a7933631.html

Holidaymakers returning from Cuba have hit out at the lack of communication from travel firms as Hurricane Irma sweeps across the Caribbean — and the fact that travellers are still being taken to the region.

Pindi Gill from Derbyshire arrived at Manchester airport this morning from Cayo Coco, off the north coast of Cuba. The Thomas Cook aircraft he flew home on had carried holidaymakers out to a location in the path of Hurricane Irma. “We were stunned that there were people coming off the flight,” he said.

Mr Gill and his wife Harjeet reported “lots of panic” among holidaymakers who are still in the resort, and said that Thomas Cook had failed to keep customers informed.

Paul and Michaela Jones from Bolton were also on Thomas Cook flight MT2933 from Cayo Coco to Manchester.

[Mividamialma]

With a hurricane watch in effect from Matanzas in central Cuba east to the province of Guantánamo, the island kicked up its preparations for Hurricane Irma on Wednesday.

Cuban forecasters were keeping a careful eye on the storm’s track. Although Irma’s future route remains uncertain, Cuban forecasters said models indicate it will pass along or near the northern coast of Cuba beginning Friday night. Tropical-storm-force winds could be felt earlier.

During a meeting with Cuba’s Civil Defense Council, forecasters said various models project the Category 5 storm — which has sustained winds of around 185 mph — to arrive in Cuban territory in northern Ciego de Ávila province by Friday and skirt the coast before heading northwest toward Florida.

Cuba, which is known for carrying out its hurricane preparedness plans with military precision, began preparing its communications systems, pruning trees, safeguarding crops and cleaning caves in rural areas where Cubans often seek shelter. Even though a watch had not yet been announced for Havana, long lines formed outside supermarkets in the capital to stock up on hurricane supplies.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article171515532.html#storylink=cpy

[gallofino]

Cuba Evacuates Thousands of Tourists

http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=127135

With the approach of hurricane “Irma”


Some tourists preferred to move up their departure from Cuba instead of waiting out hurricane Irma. Photo: Ortelio Gonzalez Martinez / granma.cu
HAVANA TIMES – The government has begun moving more than 36,000 vacationers at beaches resorts on the northern coast of eastern and central Cuba to safe areas before a possible arrival of Hurricane Irma, local media reported.

More than 60 percent of the tourists staying at hotels located on the northern keys of the island are Canadians, state television’s morning news reported.

Foreign tourists are transferred to safer hotels while national tourists are transported to their home towns.

The forecasts of the Cuban Meteorology Institute show that the central provinces of Ciego de Ávila and Villa Clara are the ones most likely to receive the greater impact of the intense rains and strong winds of hurricane “Irma”, a maximum category five storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

The 17 hotels in the Jardines del Rey resort, located between Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, on the north central part of the country, could be most affected by waves between three and five meters high.

The Civil Defense authorities activated Wednesday the second phase of the protocol in this type of weather condition. The alert phase was decreed for the provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguin, Las Tunas, Camagüey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus and Villa Clara.

The last hurricane to hit the island was “Matthew” in October 2016, a category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Intensity Scale. It caused serious material damage, especially in houses in the far eastern part of the country.

[wolfcub]

It looks like the Oriente is going to get hit with some hurricane force winds after all.  It's already starting up near Moa and will most likely effect the Guardalavaca area as well causing problems for the tourist areas.

[Mividamialma]

It looks like the Oriente is going to get hit with some hurricane force winds after all.  It's already starting up near Moa and will most likely effect the Guardalavaca area as well causing problems for the tourist areas.

Guardalavaca and Cayo Coco are going to get hit hard with winds and rain. They've evacuated over 35K tourists from both areas so far. Winds have picked up in Holguin as well. We were talking to my father in law at 5:30 this morning and you could hear the window shutters shaking in the background...

[wolfcub]

My wife and MIL were texting about 30 minutes ago and there is no electricity in Moa although the government may have intentionally cut it because of the storm.  The map currently has it about 100km north of Moa now meaning it will probably get within 65km north of Guardalavaca this afternoon.  I think that means Cat 1 or 2 based on the distance from the eye.