Hurricane Ida hits western Cuba and heads south-eastern United States | It could become an “extremely dangerous” cyclone

The Hurricane Ida crossed the province of Pinar del Río, in the western Cuba, without causing any victims, before heading towards Louisiana, in the southeastern United States, where it could reach Category 4 and become a “extremely dangerous” cyclonemeteorological sources from both countries reported on Saturday.

Ida, a storm transformed into a category 1 hurricane, entered Cuban soil this Friday through the fishing village of La Coloma, in Pinar del Río, with sustained winds of 130 km / h, said the Institute of Meteorology. from Cuba (Insmet).

The hurricane, which hit the town of Isla de la Juventud (southwest) in the afternoon, is now moving northwest at around 24 km / h, with maximum sustained winds of 130 km / h and stronger gusts, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

It is expected to hit US shores on Sunday as an “extremely dangerous” hurricane, the NHC added, the news agency reported. AFP.

After traversing Pinar del Río from south to north, Ida crosses the southeast and central Gulf of Mexico and is expected to make landfall in western Louisiana this weekend “as a Category 4 hurricane”, they noted in a tweet from American meteorologists.

Ida has also affected other neighboring regions such as the western provinces of Artemisa, Mayabeque and Havana, extending its gusts of wind up to 110 kilometers per hour and causing flooding in some low lying areas of its coasts.

As the surface layer of the oceans warms due to climate changeAs cyclones become more powerful and carry more water, posing a growing threat to coastal communities, scientists say.

Storm surges, amplified by rising sea levels, can be particularly devastating and the NHC has warned that Ida could cause “large and destructive waves” in the country’s western coastal areas.