Tropical storm Eta makes landfall in Cuba
HAVANA, Cuba (CMC)— Tropical Storm Eta made landfall on the south-central coast of Cuba early Sunday and is predicted to bring a dangerous storm surge and life-threatening flash flooding.
Before making landfall – the country’s Civil Defence issued an “Alarm Phase” for several western and central areas.
“In the face of Eta, there is no time to waste and protection is the priority,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel tweeted late Saturday.
On Sunday morning, the Miami based National Hurricane Center said Eta was located just north of central Cuba near latitude 22.5 north, longitude 79.2 west and is moving toward the north near 14 mph (22 km/h), with a gradual turn toward the north-northwest is expected by Sunday afternoon, followed by a northwestward turn later in the day, and a westward motion by early Monday.
On the forecast track, the center of Eta will continue to move over the Florida Straits between Cuba and the Bahamas on Sunday, pass near or over the Florida Keys on Sunday tonight and early Monday, and be over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico late Monday and Tuesday.