Powerful Hurricane Dennis struck Cuba Friday in Cuba, entering through the bay of the central province of Cienfuegos, 250 kilometres east of Havana, officials said. The hurricane's eye reached Cuba early Friday afternoon and maximum sustained winds slowed slightly as it moved over island. The storm's raging winds and intense rains had already caused power outages in most of Cuba as well as heavy flooding, but there were no immediate reports of injuries, the Cienfuegos office of Civil Defence said. Thousands of people had been evacuated in anticipation of the onslaught of Dennis, a category 4 hurricane in the Saffir-Simpson scale with sustained winds of 240 kilometres per hour. Cuban officials said the hurricane would affect at least 12 provinces as it swept through the island and continue on its way to Florida. Dennis was expected to hit U.S. shores as a "major hurricane" this weekend or early Monday. A four is the second highest category in measuring the strength of a hurricane. --More 0005 Local Time 2105 GMT
