Historic Cold Arrives in Cuba's Matanzas Province: A Tropical First

In an exceptionally rare weather occurrence, the Caribbean nation of Cuba witnessed temperatures plummet to freezing in its northern Matanzas province on Tuesday morning. At 7 a.m., weather stations recorded 0°C—a milestone that marks the first time this tropical island has ever documented freezing conditions since records began. Given Cuba’s warm climate and geographical location in the Caribbean, such an extreme temperature represents a remarkable departure from the nation’s typical weather patterns.

Unprecedented Freezing Temperatures in the Caribbean Province

The frigid conditions in Matanzas province shattered the previous national cold weather benchmark. According to reports cited by Ming Pao, the former record stood at 0.6°C, established back in February 1996—making Tuesday’s 0°C reading the lowest temperature ever recorded across the entire nation. This extraordinary cold front swept through the province with such intensity that it surpassed what meteorologists had considered the extreme low for Cuba, an island nation accustomed to consistently warm tropical weather. The province’s location on Cuba’s northern coast may have made it particularly vulnerable to unusual cold air masses moving southward from North America.

Breaking Decades of Temperature Records

The significance of this weather event extends beyond mere numbers. The fact that Cuba’s coldest provincial temperature has remained virtually unchanged for thirty years—until now—underscores how exceptional this latest cold snap truly is. Scientists and meteorologists are closely examining this phenomenon as part of broader discussions about unusual weather patterns affecting the Atlantic region. Whether this represents a temporary anomaly or signals shifting climate trends remains a subject of ongoing analysis among experts studying the province and surrounding areas.