By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-10-20 23:13:10 | Updated at 2024-10-21 02:18:40
3 hours ago
Hurricane Oscar has made landfall in eastern Cuba, an island beleaguered by a massive power cut, after striking the southeastern Bahamas earlier in the day on Sunday, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
The centre in Miami said the storm’s centre arrived in the Cuban province of Guantanamo, near the city of Baracoa, on Sunday evening. Its maximum sustained winds were near 80mph (130kph).
Forecasters said five to 10 inches of rain are expected across eastern Cuba until Tuesday, with some isolated locations getting up to 15 inches.
Oscar made landfall on Great Inagua island in the Bahamas earlier on Sunday. It is expected to produce a dangerous storm surge that could translate into significant coastal flooding there and in other areas of the southeastern Bahamas. Two to four inches of rainfall were expected, with isolated areas seeing up to six inches.
The storm’s centre was located about 5 miles (10km) east-southeast of Baracoa, or about 50 miles (80km) east-northeast of Guantanamo. It was heading west-southwest at 7mph (11kph).
