Meteorological History
The storm was first observed on October 30 about 200 miles (320 km) east of Guadeloupe as a weak tropical storm with 40 mph (65 km/h) winds. It remained a tropical storm as it passed over the Leeward Islands on October 31. The storm intensified into a hurricane on November 1 as it turned southwestward in the eastern Caribbean Sea, gradually strengthening and slowing down in forward motion. On November 3, the center of the storm passed only 50 miles (80 km) north of Punta Gallinas, Colombia as a Category 2 hurricane, at which point it began to turn back towards the west.
As the hurricane slowly moved west across the southern Caribbean Sea, it continued to steadily strengthen, intensifying into a major hurricane with 115 mph (185 km/h) winds by the morning of November 5. Early on November 6, the steamship San Simeon reported a pressure reading of 964 millibars (28.5 inHg) while just north of the storm's center. At that point, the slow-moving storm began to recurve to the north across the western Caribbean Sea while intensifying to Category 5 intensity. The storm maintained its strength through November 8 as it approached the Cayman Islands, becoming a Category 4 hurricane as it turned northeast. There was a report of 27.96 inches of mercury (947 mbar) on the 8th by a Mr. Cameron on the British ship Forresbank.
Early on November 9, the center passed near Cayman Brac with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h). The storm made landfall in eastern Cuba near Santa Cruz del Sur later that morning, having weakened slightly to a strong Category 4 hurricane. The storm passed over Cuba within several hours and emerged in the Atlantic by mid-afternoon near Nuevitas, while still a strong Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph (205 km/h) maximum sustained winds.
The storm accelerated as it tracked northeast into the open Atlantic, gradually weakening. It passed near Bermuda early on November 12 while a strong Category 1 hurricane. Winds of 88 mph (142 km/h) were reported in Bermuda. Slow weakening continued as the storm tracked into the north Atlantic, and the storm became extratropical on November 13 south of Newfoundland. It was absorbed by a larger extratropical disturbance soon thereafter.
Read more about this topic: 1932 Cuba Hurricane
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“When the history of this period is written, [William Jennings] Bryan will stand out as one of the most remarkable men of his generation and one of the biggest political men of our country.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)