Havana sets new May temperature record at 38°C (100.4°F)
Havana’s Casablanca weather station recorded 38°C (100.4°F) on May 20, 2025, setting a new May temperature record. This surpassed the previous high of 37.3°C (99.1°F) recorded on May 19, 2024, according to Cuba’s Institute of Meteorology (INSMET).
Image credit: Emmanuel del Toro
The Casablanca weather station in Havana, Cuba, recorded a maximum temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) on May 20, setting a new all-time high for the month of May in the capital. The new high surpassed the previous May record of 37.3°C (99.1°F), recorded on May 19, 2024, according to INSMET’s Forecast Center.
This record-setting heat in Havana followed several days of unusually high temperatures across the country. On May 18, the Veguitas station in Granma province recorded 37.1 °C (98.8 °F), while most Cuban regions reported temperatures ranging between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 35 °C (95.0 °F) during early May.
Meteorologist Raydel Ruisánchez noted that the recent heatwave is influenced by a well-structured anticyclone affecting all layers of the troposphere, leading to persistent heat and below-average rainfall across the country.
Frequent power outages have made the extreme heat even harder to bear, especially in urban areas where many people lack reliable infrastructure. Public frustration has been widely expressed on social media, citing the combined effects of heat, mosquitoes, and blackouts.
Havana’s new record adds to a broader trend of extreme temperatures registered across Cuba in recent years. On April 11, 2024, the Jucarito station in Granma province recorded 40.1 °C (104.2 °F), the highest temperature ever measured in the country. Just a month later, on May 14, the town of Bolivia in Ciego de Ávila reached 40°C (104°F), the second-highest on record.
The rising temperatures have raised public health concerns, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with chronic illnesses.
Dr. Luis Lecha Estela, a distinguished researcher at the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment (Citma), reported an increase in daily mortality rates associated with extreme heat events, a trend not previously observed in Cuba.
Reet is a science journalist and researcher with a keen focus on extreme weather, space phenomena, and climate-related issues. With a strong foundation in astronomy and a history of environmental activism, she approaches every story with a sharp scientific lens and a deep sense of purpose. Driven by a lifelong love for writing, and a curiosity about the universe, Reet brings urgency and insight to some of the most important scientific developments of our time.
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