On Tuesday, meteorologist Yosmelvi Páez Cornell reported the occurrence of a funnel cloud, commonly referred to as a "cloud tail," in the Vertientes municipality of Camagüey province during the afternoon hours. According to a post on his Facebook profile, the phenomenon was observed around 6:00 p.m. and may have touched down near the elderly home where the municipality's solar panels are located, which would classify it as a tornado.
"A funnel cloud was observed in the Vertientes municipality... it is very likely that it touched the ground, and if so, it would be classified as a tornado," explained Páez, who also shared a video he recorded during the event. "Folks, it's descending, it's about to touch the ground," he remarked with astonishment in one of the videos. "It's quite thick, it surely touched down," he emphasized in another short clip.
In a third brief video, Páez mentioned that the phenomenon seemed to be breaking apart and admitted uncertainty about whether it had actually made contact with the ground. For added drama, a few seconds later, he noted that it appeared to be strengthening again but was unable to continue tracking the meteorological event.
Meanwhile, a low-intensity tornado was reported on Monday near the José Martí International Airport in Havana. This information was disclosed by Cuban meteorologist Elier Pila Fariñas on his official profile on the social media platform X, where he shared an image of the phenomenon and confirmed that it was a weak tornado that briefly formed in that area of the capital.
The Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) commented on the strong and rapid deterioration of weather conditions in certain municipalities of Havana on Monday afternoon, describing it as a "severity outbreak."
Understanding Recent Tornado Activity in Cuba
What is a "cloud tail" as mentioned by Yosmelvi Páez Cornell?
A "cloud tail" is a colloquial term for a funnel cloud, which is a visible rotating column of air that extends from a cloud but does not necessarily reach the ground.
Where did the tornado near José Martí International Airport occur?
The tornado was reported to have occurred near the José Martí International Airport in Havana, as shared by meteorologist Elier Pila Fariñas.