AT LEAST three people were killed and 174 injured when a huge tornado ripped through the Cuban capital Havana yesterday, President Migeul Diaz-Canel has confirmed.

Having accompanied emergency services in the early hours, he said the damage inflicted by the tornado, which reached speeds of up to 60mph was severe.

Cars were overturned and trees and lampposts uprooted, buildings damaged and an electricity blackout hit parts of the city.

Coastal areas were flooded and people in the most severely affected areas were advised to stay indoors as the intensity of the tornado took many by surprise.

“Those of the island accustomed to these warnings did not suspect the magnitude of what was coming,” Communist Party daily Granma said.

At least 10 people died and more than 158,000 homes suffered damage, of which 14,657 were destroyed, when Hurricane Irma hit the Caribbean island in September 2017.

A huge international relief effort followed, raising money for those who lost their homes. Some 1.9 million people were reportedly affected by the aftermath of the hurricane.