Heat Wave in Cuba is Unlikely, Scientists Say

Speculation that the archipelago may be affected by a heat wave in the coming days is unfounded, according to recently released information

Cuban scientists addressed concerns on a heat wave hitting the archipelago saying that the Cuba’s insular condition makes
it extremely unlikely that a heat wave will occur, due to the cooling effect of sea breezes and summer rains.

Speculation that the archipelago may be affected by a heat wave in the coming days is unfounded, according to information published today in Granma newspaper.

Speculation arouse due to the predominance of days with very warm thermal sensations caused by intense solar radiation, weak wind, high relative humidity and reduced rainfall.

Ramón Pérez Suárez, a researcher at the Climate Centre of the Institute of Meteorology, said that heat waves are particular atmospheric situations in mid-latitudes and continental areas.

In these territories, he said, temperatures reach values above 40 degrees Celsius, which, together with the prevailing low humidity, can cause the death of human beings from dehydration and other causes.

He pointed out that the current summer period in Cuba remains within the normal range, although between 1951 and 2010 the average temperature in the summer season increased by 0.8 degrees Celsius, which confirms the trend towards a warmer climate.

This, Pérez Suárez stressed, leads us progressively towards extreme heat values as the years go by, but at least for now our insular condition protects us from the so-called heat waves.