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Hurricane Rafael lashes Cuba with deadly winds, rain

Hurricane Rafael started lashing Cuba's south coast as a Category 3 cyclone quickly after twelve noon on Wednesday, the U.S. National Typhoon Center said, packaging sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) and requiring prevalent evacuations of tourists and citizens.

The cyclone lay about 85 miles (135 km) south of Cuba's capital Havana at 1 p.m., and simply to the east of Cuba's. Island of Youth.

The Miami-based NHC alerted of a deadly storm. surge, harmful hurricane-force winds and flash flooding throughout. much of western Cuba. The whole area was under a cyclone. warning.

The farm provinces of Artemisa and Pinar del Rio were. anticipated to take a near direct hit as Rafael made landfall on. the Caribbean island.

Forecasters stated Havana would also see tropical storm force. winds and heavy rain before nightfall.

The capital city of 2 million citizens is particularly. vulnerable to a hurricane strike and flooding, with antiquated,. largely packed real estate and run-down facilities.

Homeowners formed lines at state-run shops early in the. early morning, but otherwise, the streets were mostly peaceful as the. electricity started to flicker out throughout the city quickly after. midday.

Schools and public transport in the city were suspended. until additional notification.

Police cruisers with speakers started circling central. areas motivating individuals to shelter in place ahead of. the storm.

Authorities said they had actually grounded flights at both Havana's. Jose Marti International Airport as well as at the popular beach. resort at Varadero through Thursday.

Officials stated they had actually left more than 100 Canadian. tourists from Cayo Largo, another popular beach location off. southwestern Cuba.

Farmers fast-tracked the harvest of ripening fruits and. vegetables throughout much of western Cuba and relocated to protect. 8,000 tonnes of tobacco in Pinar del Rio province, the nation's. farming minister stated. The timing might not be even worse for the Communist-run island,. which last month suffered an overall collapse of its national. electrical grid, leaving an estimated 10 million people without. power for a number of days.

Cyclone Oscar made landfall in far eastern Cuba around the. exact same time as the blackout, tossing a one-two punch that has. sapped precious resources in a country struggling with severe. lacks of food, fuel and medicine.

Continuing rolling blackouts, maimed communications and. fuel shortfalls have actually complicated the government's efforts to. prepare homeowners for the storm.

Rafael grazed the Cayman Islands as a Classification 1 cyclone. overnight before increasing in less than 24 hr to a much more. effective Category 3 storm off Cuba's southwestern coast.

Forecasters predict Rafael will spin off towards the western. Gulf of Mexico later on this week, though the track remains. unpredictable, the NHC said.

(source: Reuters)