Havana, Aug 31 (IANS): Hurricane Idalia, which has made landfall as a Category 3 storm in the US state of Florida, inflicted a heavy impact on the western part of Cuba, local media reported.

According to a state TV report, more than 300,000 people were left without electricity in Cuba's western provinces, reports Xinhua news agency.

In Pinar del Rio, the hardest-hit territory, intense precipitations and gusted winds caused flash floodings and landslides as more than 20 school buildings were damaged by the hurricane.

Besides, hundreds of people from low-lying areas remain in shelters in the province of Artemisa, according to Cuban News Agency ACN.

More than 300 hectares of crops were damaged in the western province of Mayabeque, local authorities said.

In the country's capital of Havana, three people were injured as a result of the collapse of houses in the most populated city on the island, the daily newspaper Tribuna de La Habana said.

It has been almost a year since Category 3 Hurricane Ian hit the western Cuban province of Pinar del Rio, causing widespread devastation and leaving a trail of destruction.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.