Violent changes in weather are one of the most dramatic features of climate change. In the Caribbean surviving massive storms during the hurricane season is part of everyday life. “Hot Cities” goes to Cuba, which has a well-rehearsed defence strategy and an effective early warning system at the Cuban National Forecasting Centre. The head of the centre, Dr Jose Ruberia – something of a hero in Cuba – has been monitoring the storms for decades. Dr Jose, who broadcasts the extreme weather warnings on Cuban TV, gives us a tour of the capital city Havana and the rest of the island explaining why their survival strategy has been so successful. In this episode we also visit New York and Miami to see how two much bigger – and much richer – cities are going to cope with changing weather patterns.
Keywords: climate change, cuba, climate, megastorm, hurricane