Thermometers in Cuba could register single-digit values

Havana, January 29 - Winter temperatures are occurring these days in Cuba, with lows between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius; however, they could be even lower next week with the arrival of another event that will bring temperatures down to single digits.

During this week and until next Tuesday, February 3, the Caribbean island will be exposed to a sustained winter period, with a strong drop in temperatures, explained meteorologist Ariel Maturell on his social media profile.

This is due to the intrusion of an "Extremely Cold" air mass over the central and eastern portion of North America and the Gulf of Mexico, which is currently over the area but will strengthen by the weekend with even colder air coming from Canada, detailed the specialist.

The meteorologist from the Institute of Meteorology explained that it is expected that even in the southern states of the United States, the Yucatán Peninsula, and Cuba, there will be one of the most intense cold spells in recent years, with abnormally low temperatures for such low latitudes as Florida and Cuba, he warned.

He recalled that in Cuba, thermometers usually do not drop much below 15°C and then temperatures rise in the afternoon, which minimizes the sensation of cold.

After the passage of a new cold front, in this case the eighth of the current season, temperatures that are already cold in the west will drop even further, and minimum values will plummet below 10°C in much of the country.

Afternoon highs will barely reach 19-20°C in the east, the warmest region of the island, and the lows in historically colder regions of Cuba may hover around 5°C or even lower, he explained.

According to preliminary models and depending on cloudiness conditions in Florida and Cuba, temperatures near historical records could be registered or even broken in some areas, the meteorologist warned.

He also advised those residing in interior areas of the west and center to protect themselves well on those days when temperatures drop below 10°C. Such temperatures pose a risk of mild to moderate hypothermia in exposed people without proper protection.