HAVANA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Cuba will hold its annual nationwide drill later this month to prepare the public for the coming hurricane season, Cuban authorities said Friday.

According to Cuba's National Civil Defense Staff (NCD), the drill, dubbed Meteoro, will occur on May 18-19. It aims to raise the public awareness and readiness to face natural disasters, including tropical hurricanes, severe droughts, earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as other potential health and technological disasters.

The drill will also focus on the preservation of the economy's resources, improvement of damage assessment capabilities, and the training of victims assistance in case of natural disasters, said NCD officials.

The Meteoro drill has been conducted nationwide every year since 1986 ahead of the hurricane season, which starts on June 1 and runs until the end of November.

Since the mid 1990s, the drill includes not only the training for natural disasters, but also training in response to health or technological disaster.