Hurricane Irma

Caribbean islands prepare for Hurricane Maria

Tropical Storm Maria was upgraded to a category one hurricane force on Sunday by the US National Hurricane Center.

The storm is currently following roughly the same path as Irma.

As a result, hurricane warnings have been issued for the US and British Virgin Islands, as well as Puerto Rico.

They were all hit by Hurricane Irma - the category five storm which left at least 37 people dead and caused billions of dollars worth of damage - earlier this month.

France has also issued a hurricane warning for its territory of Guadeloupe.

Six dead at Florida nursing home hit by Hurricane Irma

Police evacuated 115 residents on Wednesday from the facility, whose air conditioning was cut by the storm.

Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief said three were found dead at the nursing home in the city of Hollywood. Three others died in hospital.

Ten million people are still without power in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas after Hurricane Irma.

The storm, which has claimed more than two dozen lives in the US, struck southwestern Florida on Sunday morning as a category four hurricane before weakening to a tropical depression on Monday.

Irma leaves two thirds of Florida without power

Relief operations are under way and engineers are working to restore power, but many areas remain stranded.

The islands of the Florida Keys and western parts of the state bore the brunt of the category-four hurricane.

Irma hit Florida on Sunday, before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved north on Monday.

Media reports link at least four deaths to the storm in Florida. Last week it killed at least 37 people as it crossed the Caribbean.

Hurricane Irma: Eye of storm hits Florida west coast

Irma has been downgraded to a category three storm, but made landfall on Marco Island off Florida's west coast with winds of up to 120mph (192km/h).

More than 2.5m homes in the state are without power, and parts of the city of Miami are under water.

Irma has devastated parts of the Caribbean, killing at least 27 people.

Some 6.3 million people in Florida had been told to evacuate.

President Donald Trump described the hurricane as a "big monster". He praised the federal agencies involved with the storm and said he would go to Florida "very soon".

Hurricane Irma: Time runs out for Florida evacuation

Rick Scott said it was now too late to drive away from the danger areas.

After devastating several Caribbean islands, Irma is lashing Cuba with strong winds and heavy rain, and is due to make landfall in Florida on Sunday.

Some 6.3 million people, more than 25% of the US state's population, have been ordered to evacuate.

The hurricane made landfall on the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago, in Cuba's north-east, late on Friday as a category five storm but has now weakened to a category three.

Hurricane Irma pummels Carribean, kills 14 people

Howling winds and rough seas battered the British overseas territory, experiencing a top-rated category five hurricane for the first time.

There has been some damage and flooding in Haiti, which is still recovering from the devastating 2010 earthquake.

Some 500,000 people were told to leave south Florida with Irma due on Sunday.

The hurricane's winds have moderated slightly, at up to 270km/h.

An estimated 1.2 million people have been affected by Irma and that could rise sharply to 26 million, the Red Cross says.

Ten dead as hurricane totals Caribbean islands

The small island of Barbuda is said to be "barely habitable" while officials warn that the French territory of St Martin is almost destroyed, and the death toll is likely to rise.

Meanwhile, two other storms have strengthened to become hurricanes.

Irma, a category five hurricane, the highest possible level, is currently north-east of the Dominican Republic, heading towards Turks and Caicos.

Hurricane Irma: 'Two dead and two seriously injured'

French overseas territories minister Annick Girardin said at least two people had been killed on the islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy.

"We're talking about two dead and two seriously injured for now. Obviously the situation can change very quickly," Ms Giradin said.

She said the French government was launching an emergency plan but it was vital to assess the damage because at these stage authorities could not get access to the worst-hit areas.

President Emmanuel Macron said earlier on Wednesday there were expected to be casualties on the islands.

Warnings as Hurricane Irma threatens Caribbean

Irma now has sustained winds of 290km/h, making it the most powerful the Atlantic has seen in over a decade.

It is projected to bring storm surges, life-threatening winds and torrential rainfall to the Leeward Islands.

Florida, where it is due to arrive as a category four hurricane on Sunday, has declared a state of emergency.

Residents in Texas and Louisiana are still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Harvey, which struck as a category four storm in late August, causing heavy rain and destroying thousands of homes.

Florida & the Caribbean brace for powerful hurricane

The hurricane has sustained winds of up to 215 km/h and is likely to strengthen in the next 48 hours, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Irma is projected to hit the Leeward Islands, causing storm surges, life-threatening winds and torrential rain.

The US state of Florida has declared a state of emergency.

It comes as residents in Texas and Louisiana are reeling from the effects of Hurricane Harvey, which struck as a category four storm, causing heavy rain and destroying thousands of homes.