The Cuban government ordered over 200,000 residents and 2,000 foreign tourists to evacuate Thursday with the arrival of Hurricane Charley, according to local reports.

Reports said that the hurricane, with winds of up to 155 kilometers an hour, is expected to reach the island Friday between 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM (05:00 GMT and 07:00 GMT).

The government had set up shelters and prepared food and other supplies for evacuated people, and as a safe precaution, shut off electricity in Cuba's capital Havana.

Livestock herds were taken uphill, fishermen were called to ports and crops were collected while other agricultural work was suspended.

According to the Civil Defense, a heavy rain hit central Cuba on Thursday.

Other reports said that Hurricane Chaley also caused the authorities of the US State of Florida, at the peak of its tourist season, to issue a mandatory evacuation order on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Cuba issued a state of hurricane alert for the seven provinces in the western region.

Cuba was hit three times in 2001 and 2002 by tropical hurricanes, which caused great economic losses, especially to the western region.

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2004)