Hurricane Ernesto threatens Haiti and Cuba

Clean up work in eastern Cuba starts ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ernesto (Photo: Photo: Juventud Rebelde/Calixto N. Llanes)

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, August 27, 2006 - Tropical cyclone Ernesto is now a category One hurricane expected to affect southern Haiti today and make landfall in Cuba tomorrow as a Category Two hurricane with winds up to 110 miles per hour (MPH).

The cyclone has side-stepped Jamaica after some dramatic developments Saturday when it either sped up or the centre reformed toward the northeast. That move saved Jamaica from a direct hit of what would have been a strong Category One hurricane. The centre of the cyclone is now projected to move well north of Jamaica but still expected to dump several inches of rain across the eastern parishes which will also experience tropical storm force winds today. A tropical storm warning and hurricane watch are in effect for the entire island.

To the west of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands are on a hurricane watch.

The damage however is expected to be on the southern Haitian peninsula. The centre is projected to pass just south of this area which is bad news for the impoverished French Caribbean island because the strongest winds and higher gusts are located in the northeast quadrant of the hurricane to which the main agricultural belt will be exposed today. Rainfall of six to 12 inches can be expected in both Haiti and sections of the Dominican Republic today the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said.

Cuba, however, will bear the brunt of the damage. By the time it makes landfall in the eastern provinces of Granma and Santiago de Cuba early Monday morning it is expected to be a Category Two hurricane with winds between 96 and 110 mph. A hurricane watch is in effect for these provinces along with Guantanamo, Las Tunas, and Holguin. That watch is expected to be upgraded later today to a hurricane warning. By Monday afternoon Ernesto is forecast to continue across central Cuba and then onto the Florida Keys early Wednesday morning. A tropical storm watch is expected to be raised for sections of the Florida Keys later today.

Cuba has already started preparing for the arrival of Ernesto. The public works ministry has started clearing streets of loose debris and items that could become missiles. All radio and television stations are broadcasting shelter and survival information for the residents of these provinces.

At 8 am Eastern Standard Time maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph with higher gusts.  Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 90 miles from the center. An Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft reported a minimum central pressure of 997 millibars.
 
The hurricane, at 8 am Eastern Standard Time, the center of Hurricane Ernesto was located near latitude 17.3 north and longitude 73.4 west or about 115 miles southwest of Port au Prince Haiti and about 210 miles south-southeast of Guantanamo Cuba. Ernesto is moving northwest near nine mph.