Cuba and U.S. Cooperate on Forecasting [View All]

Cuba and U.S. Cooperate on Forecasting
By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ
Associated Press Writer

August 31, 2006, 2:49 PM EDT


MIAMI -- The U.S. and Cuban governments avoid talking politics or religion, but as with every strained relationship, the weather is usually a safe topic.

For decades, the two countries have quietly worked together to track tropical storms and hurricanes in hopes of saving their citizens' lives.

The two sides share meteorological data on storms. Cuban forecasters have received training in the U.S. And earlier this week, eight U.S. Air Force C-130 planes crossed into Cuban airspace to gather information on Tropical Storm Ernesto's wind speed, center and other information.

In an unusual public acknowledgment Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center commended Fidel Castro's communist government for its assistance.
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http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-cuba-weather-cooperation,0,7227835.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines