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AT 12:00 today, Ivan’s center was estimated at 23.5 degrees latitude North and 86.3 degrees longitude West, some 220 kilometers northwest of Cape San Antonio and 820 kilometers south southeast of New Orleans in the United States. Ivan continues to move away slowly from the westernmost extreme of Pinar del Río on a north northwesterly route at 13 kilometers per hour.

Ivan has maximum sustained winds of 226 kilometers per hour, with a central pressure of 932 hectopascals, and thus is now a category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Up until this morning, the highest rainfall has been recorded in Cuba-Francia on the Isle of Youth with 258 millimeters, Surgidero de Batabano in Habana province with 210 millimeters, and Mariel with 202 millimeters.

It is forecast that in the next 12-24 hours, Hurricane Ivan will take a north northwesterly path, taking it even further from Cuba.

The heavy rain will continue over the Isle of Youth, Pinar del Río and the two Havana provinces, possibly intense locally, but will diminish gradually from the late afternoon onwards.

The strong southerly winds will continue in the western region, gradually reducing.

Navigation remains dangerous off both coasts and sea flooding will continue in low-lying areas of the southern coasts of the Isle of Youth, Pinar del Río and Habana province.

The Forecast Center at the Institute of Meteorology will continue closely watching the development and trajectory of Ivan until it has definitively left the vicinity of the island.