Hurricane Paloma weakens as it passes eastern Cuba

HAVANA, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Hurricane Paloma has weakened from a Category 3 storm to a tropical depression while moving across eastern Cuba's Camaguey province, the country's Meterological Institute said Sunday.

Winds of between 10 and 12 kph broke the vertical structure of Paloma in a few hours, causing light rains over the eastern region, the institute said.

The remnants of the hurricane are not likely to generate another storm, it added.

Hurricane Paloma roared over Cuba Saturday night with strong winds exceeding 240 kph.

Local media reported Sunday that the hurricane had caused "considerable damages in Camaguey as well as in the nearby territories of Tunas and Ciego de Avila."

Hundreds of thousands of people had been evacuated before Paloma made landfall in Cuba. No deaths or major injuries have been reported so far.

Paloma was the eighth hurricane of a busy Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ends Nov. 30.

Cuba has been battered by successive hurricanes in recent months, as Gustav and Ike damaged nearly 440,000 homes and forced almost two million people into temporary shelters.

From: news.xinhuanet.com