Cuba specialist Simply Cuba reports power has been restored to the island’s main tourist areas, including the capital Havana, despite the Foreign Office issuing a blackout warning.
Cuba’s electrical grid has collapsed multiple times since Friday and efforts to restore power nationwide have been hampered by Hurricane Oscar, which hit the Caribbean island on Sunday.
There have been repeated blackouts across the country since Friday, including in Havana.
However, specialist operator Simply Cuba insists that Havana is back to normal today, and the main tourist areas of Varadero and the Cayos are unaffected by power cuts.
Simply Cuba Business Development Manager Alan Meadows is currently on the island and spokesperson Gaby Lucius said that, despite some areas suffering 24- to 36-hour blackouts, the operator had received a reassuring update from its destination management company this morning.
“The situation in Havana is back to normal,” she said. “The main tourist resorts, Varadero and Cayos have no problems.”
Officials initially said they were hoping to completely restore power today or tomorrow, but it is not clear how much Oscar – which has brought strong winds and rain to parts of eastern Cuba – might delay their efforts.
Schools have been closed till Wednesday and officials have said only ‘essential’ workers should go to work today. Cultural and recreational sites, including nightclubs, have also been ordered to shut.
The Foreign Office said only buildings with their own generators have power, and there are reports too of internet and mobile outages. It added: “British Nationals should take precautions and monitor local media for updates.”
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said officials were giving ‘absolute priority’ to restoring power following its first outage, at around midday on Friday. “There will be no rest until it is restored,” he said.
A trickle of power was restored on Friday evening, but the grid collapsed again on Saturday.
The latest blackout follows rolling power cuts across Cuba in recent weeks. Prime Minister Marrero blamed a combination of infrastructure problems, fuel shortage and rising demand.
Officials said strong winds, caused by Hurricane Milton last week, had delayed boats bringing fuel to the country’s power plants. President Diaz-Canel also blamed a US trade embargo, together with sanctions introduced by former US President Donald Trump, for a shortage of fuel and spare parts needed to repair machinery at Cuba’s power stations.
Venezuela, Cuba’s largest oil supplier, has also reduced shipments to the island this year due to domestic shortages, and Russia and Mexico have also sent fewer supplies.
The post Cuba specialist insists Havana and main resorts are back to normal, despite FCDO blackout warning appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
Cuba’s electrical grid has collapsed multiple times since Friday and efforts to restore power nationwide have been hampered by Hurricane Oscar, which hit the Caribbean island on Sunday.
There have been repeated blackouts across the country since Friday, including in Havana.
However, specialist operator Simply Cuba insists that Havana is back to normal today, and the main tourist areas of Varadero and the Cayos are unaffected by power cuts.
Simply Cuba Business Development Manager Alan Meadows is currently on the island and spokesperson Gaby Lucius said that, despite some areas suffering 24- to 36-hour blackouts, the operator had received a reassuring update from its destination management company this morning.
“The situation in Havana is back to normal,” she said. “The main tourist resorts, Varadero and Cayos have no problems.”
Officials initially said they were hoping to completely restore power today or tomorrow, but it is not clear how much Oscar – which has brought strong winds and rain to parts of eastern Cuba – might delay their efforts.
Schools have been closed till Wednesday and officials have said only ‘essential’ workers should go to work today. Cultural and recreational sites, including nightclubs, have also been ordered to shut.
The Foreign Office said only buildings with their own generators have power, and there are reports too of internet and mobile outages. It added: “British Nationals should take precautions and monitor local media for updates.”
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said officials were giving ‘absolute priority’ to restoring power following its first outage, at around midday on Friday. “There will be no rest until it is restored,” he said.
A trickle of power was restored on Friday evening, but the grid collapsed again on Saturday.
The latest blackout follows rolling power cuts across Cuba in recent weeks. Prime Minister Marrero blamed a combination of infrastructure problems, fuel shortage and rising demand.
Officials said strong winds, caused by Hurricane Milton last week, had delayed boats bringing fuel to the country’s power plants. President Diaz-Canel also blamed a US trade embargo, together with sanctions introduced by former US President Donald Trump, for a shortage of fuel and spare parts needed to repair machinery at Cuba’s power stations.
Venezuela, Cuba’s largest oil supplier, has also reduced shipments to the island this year due to domestic shortages, and Russia and Mexico have also sent fewer supplies.
The post Cuba specialist insists Havana and main resorts are back to normal, despite FCDO blackout warning appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
