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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Matthew Weaver, Claire Phipps, Sam Levin and Jamiles Lartey

Caribbean islands suffer huge damage after Irma – as it happened

We’re closing this live blog now. You can follow the latest developments on Hurricane Irma here.

Florida’s governor Rick Scott has urged coastal residents to heed evacuation orders.

What we know so far

  • Hurricane Irma, still a category five storm with sustained wind speeds of 180mph (290kph) is passing near the Dominican Republic and Haiti as it heads to the Bahamas where warnings have been extended to more areas.
  • Ten people are so far reported to have died as the hurricane ripped through the Caribbean: a two-year-old in Barbuda, one person in Anguilla, and eight in the French part of St Martin. It is feared the death toll will rise.
  • Hurricane watches are likely be issued for parts of Florida later today. Mandatory evacuations have been issued to residents in coastal areas of Florida. Donald Trump tweeted that “great teams of talented and brave people” are already in place.
  • Massive damage has been reported across the Caribbean islands already savaged by the storm, with homes and critical facilities flattened, power failures and communications down.
  • On Barbuda, the prime minister, Gaston Browne, said 90% of buildings had been destroyed and 50% of the population was homeless. He blamed the carnage on global warming and criticised world leaders who deny climate change. He also said he was considering ordering residents of Barbuda to evacuate if a second Hurricane, Jose, is forecast to hit the island in the coming days.
  • The French part of St Martin was “95% destroyed”, according to Daniel Gibb, a local official. Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, said there had been “enormous material damage” to the Dutch-administered south of the island, St Maarten.
  • France has sent an emergency team and supplies to St Martin and St Barthélemy (St Barts), both French overseas collectivities. The Dutch government has deployed 100 marines to St Maarten, and two military aircraft.
  • The UK government has made £12m available and deployed a naval ship to the area, after being criticised for its slow response to the hurricane. Ministers were due to hold a a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee.
  • States of emergency are in place across the Caribbean, including in the Barbuda, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, the most recent island to be hit with high winds and drenching rain.
  • Two-thirds of the population of Puerto Rico is without power and 17% of people are without water.
  • Bahamas prime minister Hubert Minnis said his government was evacuating people from six islands in the south to the capital, Nassau, in the largest storm evacuation in the Bahamas’ history.

Donald Trump has tried to reassure the people of Florida by tweeting that “great teams of talented and brave people” are “already in place and ready to help”.

A hurricane warning for parts of Florida is expected to be issued later today and some coastal areas have been evacuated. Irma is expected to hit Florida on Sunday.

The Dutch military has posted images of some of the marines being deployed to St Maarten.

The Dutch defence ministry had stationed two naval vessels in the area before the storm hit. It is equipped with a helicopter and supplies, while two military planes and at least 100 soldiers are also involved in aid efforts.

“The priority now is to bring emergency aid to the people... consisting of sending food and water to 40,000 people over the coming five days,” Dutch Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk said.

Here’s the full text of Alan Duncan’s statement in which he promised £12m of aid, the deployment of Navy ship RFA Mounts Bay, and aid flights on standby.

Updated

Red alert hurricane warnings are in place for 17 provinces in the Dominican Republic. A further 12 yellow warnings are in place for 12 provinces.

The centre of the hurricane moved away from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic earlier today.

More than two thirds of homes in Puerto Rico are still without electricity, and 17% are without water, officials have revealed.

The aid charity Oxfam estimates that up to three million people could be affected by Irma in Haiti as it due to pass north of Hispaniola.

Some people in coastal areas of Haiti have ignored orders to evacuate, according to Oxfam’s Tania Escamilla who is Cap Haitien – Haiti’s second city.

She said: “I get the sense that people here are used to hurricanes and no-one seems frantically scared, but I’ve heard from many that some areas of the country haven’t even fully recovered from Hurricane Matthew last year – and now they’re facing this.

“While many are moving, there are quite a few people who have decided not to evacuate but to stay put instead, fearing to lose their belongings and home.”

“We fear that half-a-million people could be affected even in the best-case scenario – or as many as 3 million in the worst”.

A man repairs part of his roof in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irma in Lauriers neighborhood of Cap-Haitien
A man repairs part of his roof in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irma in Lauriers neighbourhood of Cap-Haitien Photograph: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images

Residents of Barbuda describe the destruction caused by Hurricane Irma in this video.

The Dutch Ministry of Defence says two military aircraft will fly to the Caribbean island of Curacao on Thursday afternoon, AP reports.

They will be loaded with relief supplies and troops to help authorities on former Dutch colony St Maarten recover from the devastation of Hurricane Irma.

The ministry says the troops being sent to the region “can also be used to restore public order.”

Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk said earlier that he could not confirm news reports of looting in Saint Maarten, where a curfew is in force in the aftermath of Wednesday’s storm.

The ministry says a KDC-10 and a C-130 Hercules are to fly to Curacao from a military air base in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven.

The Hercules will then be used to ferry supplies to St Maarten because it should be able to land at the badly damaged Princess Juliana Airport

The planes will carry enough food and water to supply the 40,000-strong population for five days.

UK aid: £12m, a navy ship, and four humanitarian experts

Here are the key quotes from Duncan’s statement to the House.

Anguilla received the hurricane’s full blast. The initial assessment is that the damage has been severe and in places critical. At the moment Anguilla’s port and airport remain closed.

The British Virgin Islands were also not spared the hurricane’s full force. Our initial assessment is of severe damage and we expect that the islands will need extensive humanitarian assistance which we will of course provide.

The hurricane is expected to hit another British overseas territory later today. The Turks and Caicos Islands lie in the hurricane’s predicated path and officials in London and in the territories are working intensively on disaster preparedness and response.

No British nationals have yet contacted us to ask for assistance.

Two Commonwealth realms were affected ... Antigua and the less populated island of Barbuda. Barbuda was most severely affected. Antigua and St Kitts and Nevis were less badly affected than many had feared with only minor damage.

The Royal Navy ship Mounts Bay is already in the Caribbean and should reach the affected territories later today. The ship carries royal marines and army engineers and her primary task is the protection of our overseas territories.

DFID stands ready to charter flights to deliver additional supplies as appropriate.

The secretary of state for defence will chair a meeting of Cobra at 2pm. Our priority is to support the territories governments in meeting their humanitarian and security needs including shelter, water, and accommodation. We have four UK humanitarian experts in the region who are helping to coordinate the response.

We have £12m immediately available through our rapid response mechanism for disaster relief and recovery.”

Duncan also responded to criticism that the UK had not done as much as France for its dependencies in the Caribbean. He said:

The relationship between overseas territories and their parent countries differs. Whilst French territories are directly governed, that is not the case with our overseas territories. While this means that our responses will be different we will seek the same objectives and are taking immediate steps to do so.

Updated

Foreign office minister Alan Duncan is updating MPs on the UK government’s response to Irma.

What we know so far

  • Hurricane Irma, still a category five storm with sustained wind speeds of 180mph (290kph) is heading towards the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Bahamas which it is forecast to hit on Thursday.
  • Ten people are so far reported to have died as the hurricane ripped through the Caribbean: a two-year-old in Barbuda, one person in Anguilla, and eight in the French part of St Martin. It is feared the death toll will rise.
  • Hurricane watches are likely be issued for parts of Florida later today. Mandatory evacuations have been issued to residents in coastal areas of Florida.
  • Massive damage has been reported across the islands already savaged by the storm, with homes and critical facilities flattened, power failures and communications down.
  • On Barbuda, the prime minister, Gaston Browne, said 90% of buildings had been destroyed and 50% of the population was homeless. He blamed the carnage on global warming and criticised world leaders who deny climate change. He also said he was considering ordering residents of Barbuda to evacuate if a second Hurricane, Jose, is forecast to hit the island in the coming days.
  • The French part of St Martin was “95% destroyed”, according to Daniel Gibb, a local official. Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, said there had been “enormous material damage” to the Dutch-administered south of the island.
  • France has sent an emergency team and supplies to St Martin and St Barthélemy (St Barts), both French overseas collectivities.
  • The UK has been criticised for its slow response to the hurricane, in the British territories in the Caribbean Theresa May has discussed launching a joint response with France, and ministers are due to hold a meeting of its emergency committee Cobra.
  • States of emergency are in place across the Caribbean, including in the Barbuda, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, the most recent island to be hit with high winds and drenching rain.
  • Most of the population of Puerto Rico is without power and tens of thousands are without water.
  • The eye of the storm is due to pass just north of Hispaniola – the Dominican Republic and Haiti – on Thursday, moving on to Turks and Caicos and the southern Bahamas by Thursday evening.
  • Bahamas prime minister Hubert Minnis said his government was evacuating people from six islands in the south to the capital, Nassau, in the largest storm evacuation in the Bahamas’ history.

Updated

May and Macron consider joint response to Irma

Theresa May and France’s President Macron talked on the phone this morning about seeking a joint response to Irma, Downing Street has said.

The chat had been pre-arranged, but “given what has happened overnight the conversation focused quite significantly on Hurricane Irma”, May’s spokesman said.

He told reporters: “The PM updated the president on our response, noting that DfID humanitarian advisers had already deployed to the region to carry out damage assessments and provide humanitarian support.”

“Both leaders agreed to cooperate closely, including with the Dutch, to understand the extent of the damage and to coordinate the relief effort.”

The government is to hold a ministerial-level meeting of its Cobra emergency committee later in the day, to be chaired by the defence secretary, Michael Fallon, May’s spokesman said.

Foreign office minister, Alan Duncan, is due to update MPs in the Commons.

The government is facing criticism that it has not offered enough support to British overseas territories in the Caribbean.

Updated

Netherlands prime minister Mark Rutte says there has been enormous material damage to the Dutch administered part of the island of St Martin.

There is still no word on the number of victims on St Maarten, he said after getting a telephone briefing from officials in the region.

In a Facebook post he added: “Certainly on St Maarten, the material damage is enormous. Most of the concerns are about St Maarten. There is widespread destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses. There is no power, no gas, no running water. Houses are underwater, cars float through the streets. Residents are in the dark, in ruined houses and have lost contact with the outside world.”

More than 10.5 million children live in the countries that are likely to be exposed to the damage from Hurricane Irma, according to the Unicef.

Children in the islands of the Eastern Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba are at risk, including over 3 million under 5 years old, are currently at risk, it said.

Unicef spokesman Patrick Knight, said: “Our priority is to reach all those children and families in the affected communities as soon as possible.”

Early estimates suggest 74,000 people, including 20,000 children, have been effect in the Caribbean so far.

Unicef says its immediate concern is providing drinking water and sanitation to affected communities, as well providing child protection services for both children and adolescents, including psycho-social support for those affected.

Children in a low-income neighborhood of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, carry containers for water as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean
Children in a low-income neighborhood of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, carry containers for water as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean Photograph: Ricardo Rojas/Reuters

Updated

Millions of children in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are vulnerable to the impact of Irma as it heads northwest, according to Save the Children.

In the Dominican Republic, its emergency teams are working with armed forces and the police to evacuate civilians across 17 provinces in the north and east. In a press release it said:

It’s believed up to 3 million people are affected - some 40 percent of whom live in poverty. With designated shelters able to accommodate just 900,000 people, emergency response teams are now turning to churches, schools and community centres as alternatives ...

Even if the storm doesn’t directly hit, we are likely to see heavy rains, extreme winds and possibly flooding.

Haiti too is bracing itself for the worst, less than one year since Hurricane Matthew wrought havoc on the country, killing more than 800 people and crippling infrastructure. Save the Children is also closely monitoring the storm as it makes a projected turn toward the continental United States where evacuations have been ordered to start in the coming hours.

Updated

At least 10 people killed in the Caribbean

At least 10 people are now known to have been killed in the Caribbean, after French officials raised the death toll on the Island of Saint Martin to eight.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said eight people were killed and the toll was likely to rise.

“We did not have the time yet to explore all the shores,” Collomb told Franceinfo radio, adding that 23 people were also injured.

The Caribbean Disaster Management Agency said at least one person died in the northeast Caribbean island of Anguilla.

In Barbuda, a 2-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm.

Hurricane warnings have been extended to the north western Bahamas, according to the latest update from the US National Hurricane Center.

But warnings have been lifted for Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra.

The key points from the latest warnings are

  • Hurricane warnings are still in place the Dominican Republic; Haiti; the south-eastern, central and northwestern Bahamas; and the Turks and Caicos islands
  • Irma remains a category five hurricane with winds of 180mph (290kph) and storm surges of up to 20ft (6m) of water.
  • The centre is forecast to pass north of the coast of Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti) later today, and be near the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas by this evening local time. By Friday it will hit near the Central Bahamas.
  • A hurricane warning means “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion” in those areas as hurricane conditions are expected.
  • A hurricane watch also remains in place for parts of Cuba.
  • A Tropical storm warning is in place for parts of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba
  • A Hurricane Watch is likely to be needed later today for parts of southern Florida and the Florida Keys.
  • Irma is moving toward the west-northwest at a speed of 17 mph (28 km/h). .

Sylvia Lamzo, 69, sits on a folding bed at an emergency center as Hurricane Irma approached Puerto Rico in Fajardo
Sylvia Lamzo, 69, sits on a folding bed at an emergency center as Hurricane Irma approached Puerto Rico in Fajardo Photograph: Ricardo Arduengo/AFP/Getty Images

British Red Cross has launched an appeal for those affected by Hurricane Irma.

Ben Webster, head of emergencies at the British Red Cross, said:

“Irma has the potential to be the most destructive and deadly storm in the Caribbean for many years. Given the scale of the anticipated emergency, any response will likely be highly complex. Some of the islands are isolated, and lack basic infrastructure. The impact on those communities could be catastrophic.”

“British Red Cross has emergency aid ready to go from the regional warehouse, and our aid workers are on standby to support the response as needed, as part of the wider Red Cross Movement operation.”

Updated

Green party co-leader and MP, Caroline Lucas, has added to calls for the UK government to do more to help the islands hit by Irma.

In a statement she said: “Britain should be doing more to assist those affected by the utter devastation in the Caribbean. As part of such efforts, and if desired by the governments in the region, we should be using our armed forces to help with reconstruction and emergency assistance in the British Overseas Territories that have been hit. The UK has a highly skilled military that could be having a real impact here - and the truth is that they should already be helping out as the French are.”

A Delta Airlines passenger plane managed to fly in and out of Puerto Rico during the hurricane, according airline blogger Jason Rabinowitz.

Video uploaded to Facebook showed an airline trying to take off in Puerto Rico.

Updated

The UK government will update MPs on the impact of the Hurricane Irma, and the British response.

Foreign office minister Alan Duncan will give a Commons statement on the disaster.

The government is facing criticism that it has not offered enough support to British overseas territories in the Caribbean.

Prime minister Theresa May tweeted that her thoughts are with everybody deal with the impact of the hurricane.

Barbuda PM blames carnage on climate change

The prime minister of one of the islands devastated by Irma has blamed the carnage on global warming and criticised world leaders who deny climate change.

Gaston Browne, the leader of Barbuda and the larger neighbouring island of Antigua which escaped the worst of the hurricane, told the BBC’s Today programme: “The science is clear. Climate change is real in the Caribbean we are living with the consequences of climate change. It is unfortunate that there are some who see it differently.”

Browne revealed that he may have to order the evacuation of Barbuda if forecasters warn that it will be hit again by Hurricane Jose, after Hurricane Irma left 90% of buildings damage, and half the island’s 2,000 people homeless.

He added: “This storm was easily the strongest to have developed in the Atlantic. The carnage is there for all to see.”

Browne did not name Donald Trump, but he said politicians who denied climate change, as Trump has done, were irresponsible.

He said: “The irony about it is that islands in the Caribbean are very small ... Many of us are not emitters of carbon and we suffering from all of these profligate emissions from large industrial countries. And at the same time you have some leaders in the industrial world who are trying to say that climate change is not real. We do not accept that, we see that as a form of irresponsibility. These heavy polluters ought to take responsibility for climate change. They are the ones who have the large carbon footprint and in essence are contributing to global warming at the expense of other countries that clearly are not polluting the planet.”

Browne spoke of his shock of seeing the damage to Barbuda on helicopter trip on Wednesday after mistakingly tweeting the that the island had escaped the worst.

He said: “I was shocked, we were cut off from Barbuda, the last set of reports that we had early in the morning at about 2am was that they were doing pretty OK. We had absolutely no knowledge that the island was literally devastated.”

“It was easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences I’ve had. From what I’ve seen at least 90% of the properties in Barbuda suffered some level of damage.

“Approximately 50% are homeless at this time, they are bunking together. We are trying to get some immediate relief supplies to them, and see how we can start the recovery effort.”

Browne said it could take years and tens of millions of pounds to rebuild the island.

He said: “It could be in the region of $100m, for a small state that is definitely beyond our means. We will have to approach the international community for some level of assistance.

“As a member of the Commonwealth we would appreciate any assistance that could be extended by the UK and other Commonwealth countries.”

A state of emergency has been declared in Barbuda.

A screengrab from ABS TV showing the damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Barbuda.
A screengrab from ABS TV showing the damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Barbuda. Photograph: ABS TV

Updated

Richard Murphy, fair tax campaigner and former economic adviser to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, has urged the UK government to help British overseas territories hit by Irma, as Boris Johnson has suggested it will at least in the case of Anguilla.

But Murphy calls on the islands, many of which are tax havens, to respond to tax-funded aid by being more transparent about the accounts of companies and individuals registered in their domains. In a blogpost he writes:

“I sincerely hope that the UK government does supply all the assistance required to these places, as they will also do to those other places without such support. But I make the point that if we are to honour our responsibilities, then so should they. The British Caribbean tax havens can only exist because of the guarantee that the UK supplies, the legal system that the UK supplies and the regulation that we support. There is a cost to that. We will bear ours, but it’s not unreasonable to expect that those places who need us to do so respond in kind. That means they deliver accounts on public record, registers of beneficial ownership of companies and trusts for all to inspect and new regimes of transparency in all that they do.

“And for those who think this isn’t the time to ask I would point out that even neoliberals think that the role of government is to act as a back stop. When the governments of the UK’s Caribbean tax havens rely on us to take that role then now is precisely the time to remind them of their reciprocal responsibilities, whilst continuing to supply all the support that is needed.”

Updated

Josephine Gumbs-Conner, a lawyer from the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, has heaped more criticism on the British government for its response to Irma.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she said:

Anguilla is utterly devastated. We are very familiar with hurricanes, but this particular one, Hurricane Irma, was off the charts in terms of strength. It has certain cut a swathe through Anguilla that has left us in absolute pieces.

Our police service has suffered roof damage, so has our court house, so has our prisons, so has the hospital. Just in terms of essential services alone we are clearly in limping position.

When you look at our island at the moment you would think that it just suffered nuclear bomb devastation. We are in such a compromised position at the moment.

This kind of devastation is so significant and so widespread that to be able to put us back and make us whole again, with help it could happen perhaps in about six months.

Gumbs-Conner contrasted the lack of help given to the island ahead of the hurricane by the British government compared to the way the French government helped its overseas dependencies in the Caribbean.

She said:

In St Martin, the French made sure that they had military on the ground, so that the response given is timely, effective and helpful.

That was sorely lacking in our case. There was no echoing to chainsaws in Anguilla. Roads are still impassable. While we understand that these things take time, I personally am very disappointed. We are supposed to be the same status as Gibraltar or the Falkland Island.

I’m am truly disappointed. If we are indeed supposed to be in a partnership then it should work far more effectively than it is doing now.

Similar criticisms of the UK was made by Dorothea Hodge, a former UK EU representative for the government of Anguilla.

Anna Baltimore Thompson, who was rescued along with her family as Irma battered Barbuda, has called for the island to be evacuated before Hurricane Jose is forecast to hit at the weekend.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said:

This has been horrific, terrifying, a terrible experience. Me and my family of seven, including an infant of two months, had to shelter in a closet.

Before the hurricane-force winds began the roof had already gone from our premises and we had to go for shelter. The fireman and police officers came to our rescue and took us to a shelter.

My main concern is how we are going to survive after this. Every house, every [piece of] infrastructure, every utility is completely damaged and gone. All my family members don’t even have a home no more.

And possibility of another hurricane heading in our direction is terrifying. I think we should evacuate.

What we know so far

  • Hurricane Irma, still a category five storm with sustained wind speeds of 180mph (290kph) is moving away from Puerto Rico and heading towards the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which it is forecast to hit on Thursday.
  • Eight people are so far reported to have died as the hurricane ripped through the Caribbean: a two-year-old in Barbuda, one person in Anguilla, and six in the French part of St Martin. It is feared the death toll will rise.
  • Massive damage has been reported across the islands already savaged by the storm, with homes and critical facilities flattened, power failures and communications down.
  • On Barbuda, the prime minister, Gaston Browne, said 90% of buildings had been destroyed and 60% of the population was homeless.
  • The French part of St Martin was “95% destroyed”, according to Daniel Gibb, a local official.
  • France has sent an emergency team and supplies to St Martin and St Barthélemy (St Barts), both French overseas collectivities. But the UK has been criticised for its slow response in Anguilla, a British overseas territory.
  • States of emergency are in place across the Caribbean, including in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, the most recent island to be hit with high winds and drenching rain.
  • Most of the population of Puerto Rico is without power and tens of thousands are without water.
  • The eye of the storm is due to pass just north of Hispaniola – the Dominican Republic and Haiti – on Thursday, moving on to Turks and Caicos and the southern Bahamas by Thursday evening.
  • Bahamas prime minister Hubert Minnis said his government was evacuating people from six islands in the south to the capital, Nassau, in the largest storm evacuation in the Bahamas’ history.
  • Irma is then forecast to head towards Cuba and Florida, where mandatory evacuations have been issued to residents in coastal areas, who must leave their homes on Thursday.

Updated

In Florida, mandatory evacuation orders for residents of some coastal areas of Miami-Dade county begin at 7am on Thursday – four hours from now.

Philip Levine, mayor of Miami Beach, says residents there must also leave from midday Thursday:

Miami Beach businesses and residents should evacuate to a relative or friends’ home at a safer location. For those unable to make necessary accommodations, a list of open shelter locations can be found here …

South Florida remains in the forecast track for either a direct hit or major storm impacts. Do not take this lightly. Plan now to keep yourself and your family safe.

There are no hurricane shelters in Miami Beach so residents are advised to leave the area entirely. The statement from the mayor adds:

A list of evacuation pick-up sites are listed here. Bus transportation to evacuation shelters on the mainland will be provided by Miami-Dade county. County transit buses will provide transportation to these shelters from 21 different locations, and cease operations and evacuations three hours prior to the estimated arrival of tropical storm force winds.

The former UK representative to Anguilla has criticised the government’s response to Hurricane Irma in British overseas territories as “pathetic” and “disgraceful”, Kevin Rawlinson and Patrick Greenfield report:

Dorothea Hodge, a former UK EU representative for the government of Anguilla, has urged the UK government to follow the example of France, which has committed to an emergency fund and a reconstruction plan to deal with the aftermath of the storm.

On Wednesday, the international development secretary, Priti Patel, announced the deployment of three UK humanitarian experts and a British naval ship to the affected region.

Hodge told the Guardian:

It’s absolutely disgraceful that it has taken the whole day for Priti Patel to respond to the worst hurricane we have seen in a British territory since the 1920s.

Homes have been destroyed, schools and the only hospital badly damaged, and already one death is being reported, and more is to come as there are two more hurricanes scheduled to hit Anguilla in the next few days.

Anguillans are all British nationals, as British as the Falklands or Gibraltar.

In comparison to the French president, who has set up an emergency fund, an emergency hotline and a reconstruction fund, her response after the storm has passed is absolutely pathetic.

Eight people are so far known to have died as a result of Hurricane Irma, although reports from the affected islands have been patchy, and the numbers are expected to rise:

  • A two-year-old child died in Barbuda.
  • One person died in Anguilla.
  • Six people died in the French part of St Martin.

What we know so far: island by island

Antigua and Barbuda

Barbuda, the first island to feel the force of Hurricane Irma was devastated by its high winds, with Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, saying 90% of buildings had been destroyed and 60% of the population of around 1,400 people left homeless.

One person – a two-year-old child – is confirmed to have died in the storm. Michael Joseph, president of the Red Cross in Antigua and Barbuda said:

The devastation is not like we’ve ever seen before – we’re talking about the whole country … of Barbuda being significantly destroyed.

Critical facilities including roads and communications systems were ravaged, with the recovery effort set to take months or years. Some residents are expected to be evacuated to the larger sister island of Antigua – where damage was less severe – as part of relief efforts and ahead of the prospective arrival of Hurricane Jose this weekend.

Barbuda suffers ‘unprecedented’ damage from Irma

Anguilla

One person died on the British overseas territory, said Ronald Jackson, executive director of the Caribbean disaster and emergency management agency, who added that “police stations, hospitals, school facilities, three or four emergency shelters, a home for the infirm and the aged, as well as the fire station”, along with many homes, had been damaged or destroyed.

The tourist board said major resorts on the island had withstood the onslaught. The airport and two ports remain closed.

The British government has been accused of a failure to respond speedily to the devastation.

St Kitts & Nevis

Prime minister Timothy Harris said St Kitts was “spared the full brunt” of Irma, but warned of “significant damage” to property and infrastructure, as well as power failures. The airport is due to reopen on Thursday.

St Martin and St Barts

The French part of the island (the southern side, St Maarten, is administered by the Netherlands) was “95% destroyed”, according to Daniel Gibb, a local official, who called it “an enormous catastrophe”:

I have sick people to evacuate, I have a population to evacuate because I don’t know where I can shelter them.

At least six people were killed in St Martin, according to Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, earlier said he expected Irma-related damage to St Martin and another French overseas collectivity, Saint Barthélemy (St Barts) would be “considerable”. France’s overseas minister, Annick Girardin, was travelling to the Caribbean with emergency teams and supplies.

The Netherlands has sent marines to St Maarten, the Dutch part of the island, where extensive damage and destruction – but so far no deaths – have been reported.

Virgin Islands

Significant damage has been reported from the British Virgin Islands, where critical facilities, as well as homes, businesses and supermarkets, have been devastated. Sam Branson, son of Virgin businessman Richard Branson – who saw out the storm in a bunker on his private island of Necker – said “a lot of buildings” had been destroyed.

US president Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in the US Virgin Islands, which were also struck. There were reports of extensive damage to buildings, and of land entirely stripped of vegetation. A public health emergency has also been declared.

Puerto Rico

The most recent island to be hit was Puerto Rico, where lashing winds and rains have left most of the population without power and tens of thousands without water. Images from the island showed flash flooding, and hospitals were forced to rely on generators.

Irma is the worst hurricane to hit the island since 1928, when Hurricane San Felipe killed more than 2,700 people across Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and Florida.

Where next?

The eye of the storm is due to pass just north of Hispaniola – the Dominican Republic and Haiti – on Thursday, moving on to Turks and Caicos and the southern Bahamas by Thursday evening.

The US National Hurricane Center warned that the north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti could expect 10 inches (25cm) of rain, with storm surges lifting water levels in the Turks and Caicos Islands and south-eastern and central Bahamas by 15-20ft (4.5-6m) above normal levels.

Bahamas prime minister Hubert Minnis said his government was evacuating people from six islands in the south to the capital, Nassau, in the largest storm evacuation in the country’s history.

A hurricane watch remains in place in Cuba.

By Friday, Irma could hit Florida, where mandatory evacuation orders have already been issued for residents in Miami-Dade and Miami Beach, who must leave their homes on Thursday. All hospitals in the Florida Keys archipelago will close at 7am Friday.

Images from Irma’s path show battered buildings, flooded streets and flattened landscapes:

Irma moves towards Dominican Republic

A fresh advisory from the US National Hurricane Center says the hurricane’s next path is north-east of the Dominican Republic.

Its key points are:

  • Hurricane warnings are still in place for Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, south-eastern and central Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
  • Irma remains a category five hurricane with winds of 180mph (290kph).
  • The eye is expected to move away from Puerto Rico and on to Hispaniola ( the Dominican Republic and Haiti) on Thursday; and to close in on the Turks and Caicos Islands and south-eastern Bahamas by Thursday evening, local time.
  • A hurricane warning means “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion” in those areas as hurricane conditions are expected.
  • A hurricane watch also remains in place for Cuba and the north-western Bahamas, where hurricane conditions are possible.

The clear-up operation is underway in St Kitts & Nevis, which prime minister Timothy Harris said was “spared the full brunt” of Irma.

Harris said there had been “significant damage” to property and infrastructure, as well as power failures.

Updated

Irma continues to hurtle towards another British overseas territory, the Turks and Caicos Islands, where the department of disaster management and emergencies has instructed residents to take shelter away from the coast.

The US National Hurricane Center has warned that storm surges could raise water levels by 15-20ft (4.5-6m) above normal.

The UK is responding after Anguilla – a British overseas territory – was hit, Press Association reports:

Foreign secretary Boris Johnson said the UK is “taking swift action to respond” to the disaster after speaking to the chief minister of Anguilla, among the first islands to be hit.

Britons in the region have been urged to follow evacuation orders.

A British naval ship has been deployed to help deal with the aftermath with 40 Royal Marines on board, as well as army engineers and equipment, as authorities struggle to bring aid to smaller islands.

Although the eye of Irma has now passed Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands – on its way next to Turks and Caicos – heavy rains continue to lash the islands:

Images are coming in from Puerto Rico, the most recent island struck by Irma, where high winds and flash flooding are causing significant damage:

Hurricane Irma Barrels Into Puerto RicoFAJARDO, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 06: A rescue team from the local emergency management agency inspects flooded areas after the passing of Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017 in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The category 5 storm is expected to pass over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands today, and make landfall in Florida by the weekend. (Photo by Jose Jimenez/Getty Images)
Members of the civil defense run as Hurricane Irma howls past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico September 6, 2017. REUTERS/Alvin Baez

The US embassy in the Bahamas has said it will evacuate some staff and their families on Thursday from Nassau and Freeport, and will offer seats on the flights to US citizens who want to leave Nassau.

It says two charter flights will leave, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, from the capital’s Lynden Pindling airport, with places on the plane available to US citizens “on a first come, first served basis”.

It adds that passengers must “sign a DS-5528 promissory note to repay the US government for the cost of the ticket” and “will not be able to select their destination”.

Updated

Airlines have responded to criticism that they were introducing opportunistic price hikes as people rush to leave Florida, Reuters reports – but many flights have been cancelled:

American Airlines said it would begin winding down operations in south Florida, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, on Friday. Miami-bound flights arriving on Friday from Europe and South America were cancelled.

American, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue all announced fare caps on flights out of Florida – $99 on JetBlue and American and $399 on Delta – for residents trying to get out of the storm’s path.

“We want those trying to leave ahead of the hurricane to focus on their safe evacuation rather than worry about the cost of flights,” JetBlue spokesman Doug McGraw said.

As Irma approached, some social media users had accused carriers of engaging in price-gouging schemes ahead of the dangerous storm.

United Airlines said it had suspended operations out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Fort Lauderdale-based Spirit Airlines said it expected its largest operational hub to be affected and planned to move its operations centre to Detroit on Thursday evening.

Canadian carriers Air Transat and WestJet Airlines both launched evacuation operations on Wednesday to remove passengers in the Dominican Republic. WestJet, Canada’s second-largest carrier, operated rescue flights to Punta Cana and Puerto Plata on Wednesday and could make additional trips to Santa Clara and Cayo Coco, Cuba, on Thursday.

Air Canada allowed passengers to change flights in impacted areas free of charge.

Carnival Cruise Lines, which has major operations in Florida, cancelled two of its Bahamas-bound cruises and said it was likely that other schedules would be affected as the storm’s path and impact became more clear.

Nearly every building was damaged when the hurricane passed almost directly over the island of Barbuda, leaving 60% of the island’s population homeless:

Barbuda suffers ‘unprecedented’ damage from Irma

This is not what the Caribbean needs: Hurricane Jose on the heels of Irma.

The person killed in Barbuda as Irma hit was a two-year-old child.

Antigua and Barbuda prime minister Gaston Browne said the child died when a family tried to escape their damaged home as the hurricane swept the island.

Browne said around 60% of the island’s population of 1,400 people are now homeless.

Updated

Ronald Jackson, executive director of the Caribbean disaster and emergency management agency, has been talking to CNN:

Antigua was spared much of the brunt of the storm … but Barbuda sustained damage to 95% of the building stock and one casualty.

There will be immediate moves on Thursday to move people from Barbuda to Antigua.

Jackson says there has also been one fatality on the island of Anguilla, as well as

damage to a lot of the critical facilities: police stations, hospitals, school facilities, three or four emergency shelters, a home for the infirm and the aged, as well as the fire station.

We expect as well significant damage to the housing stock in Anguilla.

He says there have also been “significant reports of damage” from the British Virgin Islands, where again critical facilities, as well as homes, businesses and supermarkets, have been destroyed.

The island of St Martin has suffered “significant flooding, significant infrastructure damage”, as has St Barts, he says.

Hurricane Irma continues to break sobering records: this time for the duration of its (already record-breaking) 185mph winds:

Evacuation order for Miami Beach

Following mandatory orders for residents of some coastal areas of Miami-Dade county to evacuate at 7am on Thursday, Philip Levine, mayor of Miami Beach, says residents there must leave from midday Thursday:

Miami Beach businesses and residents should evacuate to a relative or friends’ home at a safer location. For those unable to make necessary accommodations, a list of open shelter locations can be found here …

South Florida remains in the forecast track for either a direct hit or major storm impacts. Do not take this lightly. Plan now to keep yourself and your family safe.

There are no hurricane shelters in Miami Beach so residents are advised to leave the area entirely. The statement from the mayor adds:

A list of evacuation pick-up sites are listed here. Bus transportation to evacuation shelters on the mainland will be provided by Miami-Dade county. County transit buses will provide transportation to these shelters from 21 different locations, and cease operations and evacuations three hours prior to the estimated arrival of tropical storm force winds.

Irma is at this moment passing just to the north of Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rico electric company says 965,000 people – close to two-thirds of customers – are without power. At least 50,000 people are without water. Fourteen hospitals are relying on emergency generators.

It is the fiercest hurricane to hit the island since 1928, when Hurricane San Felipe killed more than 2,700 people across Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and Florida. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo killed dozens in Puerto Rico. There are not yet reports of casualties from Irma, which is still moving across the island.

The US National Hurricane Center has issued its latest Irma update. The key points are:

  • Irma has now passed the US and British Virgin Islands and the hurricane warning there is cancelled.
  • Hurricane warnings remain in place for Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, south-eastern and central Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
  • Irma’s centre is currently passing “just north of Puerto Rico”, moving west-north-west towards Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti).
  • It will arrive at Turks and Caicos and the southern Bahamas by Thursday evening.
  • Maximum sustained winds remain at 185mph (296kph) and Irma remains a category five hurricane.

Virgin boss Richard Branson, who is on his private island of Necker in the British Virgin Islands, wrote ahead of the storm that he, his family and staff would be staying in “a concrete wine cellar” as Irma passed.

His son Sam has since posted on Instagram to say there were no casualties on the island, “although a lot of buildings destroyed”.

Michael Joseph, president of the Red Cross in Antigua and Barbuda (where it’s currently 10.30pm Wednesday), has been speaking to the BBC:

We were very fortunate in Antigua. The first report coming out of Barbuda – because we lost communication last night – the first report came from the prime minister today when he took his first trip.

[He] indicated about 90% of the property was either damaged or destroyed.

We had the release of the first set of images this evening and the devastation is not like we’ve ever seen before – we’re talking about the whole country … of Barbuda being significantly destroyed.

The first thing that we need to do is get our damage and needs assessment done … we’ll be going over to Barbuda tomorrow to get a better picture of what immediate, medium- and long-term needs are. From that we will start the relief effort.

From as early as tomorrow, relief aid will start pouring into Barbuda, from tarpaulins – because shelter is a major priority; water is a major priority; as well as some health concerns. These are what the focus is on within the next 24 hours.

What we are seeing in Barbuda is something we never fathomed.

Marlon Carr, who travelled with the prime minister, Gaston Browne, to survey the damage in Barbuda, told CNN it was “a miracle” that so far only one death has been reported on the island.

He called the scenes “total destruction” and warned that some people would need to be evacuated to the larger island of Antigua, especially as Hurricane Jose approaches.

Updated

With the wind and the rains also comes lightning:

One week after the record deluge in Texas, the biggest hurricane ever measured in the mid-Atlantic is tearing through the Caribbean.

For many scientists they are a worrying sign of a “new normal” in which extreme weather events become more intense as a result of manmade climate change. Rather than expressing astonishment, they say policymakers need to strengthen long-term countermeasures and act more effectively on reducing carbon emissions.

Following Harvey, which was a category four hurricane at its peak, a second major storm of this size in one season would be unprecedented, according to Weather Underground.

But historically unusual weather is no longer freakish. The floods that hit Houston last week were described as a once-in-500-years event because records suggested there was only a 0.2% chance of such heavy rainfall. However, precedent is an increasingly unreliable guide in a changing climate. In the past three years, Texas has been hit by three 100- to 500-year events, according to local media.

More information is available on the mandatory evacuation orders issued in Miami-Dade county, which come into place on Thursday at 7am – nine hours from now.

The order reads:

Mayor Carlos Gimenez has issued a mandatory evacuation order for mobile homes, residents of Zone A, and the Barrier Islands, which include: Bal Harbour, Bay Harbour Islands, Golden Beach, Indian Creek Village, Miami Beach, North Bay Village, Sunny Isles Beach and Surfside.

This order is effective as of 7am, Thursday September 7, 2017.

All residents are advised to remain calm and to stay tuned to radio and television broadcasts for further advisories. Evacuees should move as soon as possible to the homes of friends or family who live outside of evacuation areas.

[On Wednesday], at 5pm four shelters opened, and tomorrow at 9am, an additional four shelters will be open.

All residents not located in an evacuation area should complete actions to protect their homes and seek safe shelter.

French St Martin '95% destroyed'

The French part of the Caribbean island St Martin – the northern section of the island that is split with the Netherlands-administered St Maarten – has been “95% destroyed”, Daniel Gibb, a local official, has told Radio Caribbean International:

It’s an enormous catastrophe. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed. I’m in shock. It’s frightening.

I have sick people to evacuate, I have a population to evacuate because I don’t know where I can shelter them.

Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire said at least six people were killed in the French part of St Martin.

The French overseas minister, Annick Girardin, was travelling to Guadeloupe with emergency teams and supplies, Agence France-Presse reported.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, earlier said he expected Irma-related damage to St Martin and another French overseas collectivity, Saint Barthélemy (St Barts) would be “considerable”:

It’s too soon for casualty figures … I can already tell you the toll will be harsh and cruel.

A video released by RCI Guadeloupe shows flooded streets and damage on St Martin, filmed from a terrace of the Beach Plaza hotel.
A video released by RCI Guadeloupe shows flooded streets and damage on St Martin, filmed from a terrace of the Beach Plaza hotel. Photograph: Rinsy Xieng/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Mandatory evacuations in Miami-Dade

Miami-Dade county’s emergency operations center has issued mandatory evacuation orders “for all mobile homes, all of Zone A, the Barrier Islands, and parts of Zone B”. That includes:

  • Bal Harbour
  • Bay Harbour Island
  • Golden Beach
  • Indian Creek Village
  • Miami Beach
  • North Bay Village
  • Sunny Isles Beach
  • Surf Side

(The map of zones, for those affected, is here.) Zone A covers the coastal areas south of Miami.

Images from Barbuda

Aerial footage from Antigua’s ABS TV show flattened landscapes across the island, with few buildings left standing, and vegetation wiped away:

A screengrab from ABS TV showing the damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Barbuda.
A screengrab from ABS TV showing the damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Barbuda.
A screengrab from ABS TV showing the damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Barbuda.

This gif – courtesy of Brian McNoldy, at the University of Miami Rosenstiel school – shows Irma as it tore its way towards Puerto Rico.

Updated

All Florida Keys hospitals to close Friday morning

All hospitals in the Florida Keys archipelago will close from Friday 7am, officials have said, and the air ambulance will stop at the same time.

While Florida is currently not subject to a hurricane warning, Irma’s forecast path would take it to the US state by the weekend.

The United Nations says as many as 37 million people could be affected by Hurricane Irma, Associated Press reports:

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the UN had deployed a humanitarian team to work with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency to help hurricane victims, and additional teams are on standby.

Dujarric told reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday that UN officials in Haiti are supporting the government and have deployed staff to the country’s northern departments, which are likely to be impacted.

He said UN peacekeepers, who are wrapping up their long-term mission there, have deployed two units and some engineers to the coastal city of Gonaives to be ready to open the main roads to the north, northeast and northwest.

Dujarric said UN military and police officers are also ready to be deployed to support the Haitian national police.

Latest hurricane warnings

The US National Hurricane Center says hurricane watches could be issued for portions of the Florida Keys and the Florida peninsula on Thursday – but currently there are no hurricane or tropical warnings in place for the state.

According to its latest update, issued at 8pm AST (GMT -4), hurricane warnings remain in place for the following territories:

  • British Virgin Islands
  • US Virgin Islands
  • Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra
  • Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the northern border with Haiti
  • Haiti from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Le Mole St Nicholas
  • South-eastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Central Bahamas

A hurricane warning means “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion” in those areas as hurricane conditions are expected.

A hurricane watch also remains in place for Cuba and the north-western Bahamas, where hurricane conditions are possible.

US president Donald Trump has also spoken to Ricardo Rosselló, the governor of Puerto Rico. In a summary of the phone call released by the White House:

The president confirmed that the federal government has been actively readying for the Hurricane Irma response even as the government continues to support the states of Texas and Louisiana following Hurricane Harvey.

The same sentiments were expressed in a call between Trump and Kenneth Mapp, governor of the US Virgin Islands.

Updated

This is Claire Phipps picking up the live blog as we continue our rolling coverage of Hurricane Irma as it tracks across the Caribbean.

Tom Price, the US health and human services secretary, has declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and deployed extra personnel to the stricken islands:

As Hurricane Irma bears down on Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, HHS stands ready to help our fellow Americans and do all we can to ensure they have access to the healthcare services and support they need.

Assets are being mobilized to address both immediate healthcare needs and prepare for long-term challenges. We are doing everything in our power to maintain access to care for those with Medicare and Medicaid by supporting the ability of hospitals and other healthcare facilities that participate in those programs to provide timely care to as many people impacted by the storm as possible.

Ricardo Rosselló, the governor of Puerto Rico, has responded via Twitter:

The latest

  • Hurricane Irma is the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and traveled across the northern Caribbean toward the US mainland on Wednesday.
  • In Puerto Rico, 600,000 people are without power and nearly 50,000 are without water.
  • Massive property destruction and at least one death have been confirmed on the island of Barbuda.
  • Irma made landfall on the French-governed islands of St Martin and St Barthélemy, and the damage is expected to be serious, including at least two deaths.
  • Hurricane Jose also formed in the open Atlantic, and Hurricane Katia formed in the Gulf off the coast of Mexico.
  • Mandatory evacuations are underway in the small Caribbean islands that make up the Florida Keys.
  • The US National Hurricane Center in Miami warned late Wednesday that it is increasingly likely Irma will strike southern Florida, home to 7 million people, by Sunday afternoon.
  • Donald Trump has declared states of emergency in Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
  • Florida suffered from long lines at gas stations and fuel and supply shortages on Wednesday.

The threat of “direct hurricane impacts” from Irma in Florida over the weekend has increased, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Hurricane watches remain in effect for the northwestern Bahamas and much of Cuba, and “life-threatening wind, storm surge, and rainfall hazards” are expected in Puerto Rico Thursday night, according to the NHC.

Puerto Rico damage: 600,000 lose power

More than 600,000 people are without power and nearly 50,000 without water in Puerto Rico, according to officials. A total of 14 hospitals have also lost power so far, forcing them to use generators, the AP reports.

Abner Gomez, director of Puerto Rico’s emergency management agency, said the eye of Irma is expected to be 35 miles away from San Juan right around now, at 7pm local time. He said wind gusts could reach 100 mph (160 km/h).

Here’s some recent footage:

The US state department has ordered federal government personnel in the Bahamas to leave the Caribbean islands ahead of Irma, the Associated Press is reporting. The department has also warned Americans to reconsider any planned travel to the region.

The government ordered non-essential staff and family of American employees at the US embassy in Nassau, the capital, to depart Irma. The department previously said it would pay for US personnel and family members to leave Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Here’s one recent image of the storm as it stays north of Puerto Rico and heads towards the Bahamas:

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said in a new statement that people’s immigration status would not affect Irma rescue efforts:

When it comes to rescuing people in the wake of Hurricane Irma, immigration status is not and will not be a factor. However, the laws will not be suspended, and we will be vigilant against any effort by criminals to exploit disruptions caused by the storm.

The statement said that for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the highest priorities “are to promote life-saving and life-sustaining activities, the safe evacuation of people who are leaving the impacted area, the maintenance of public order, the prevention of the loss of property to the extent possible, and the speedy recovery of the region”.

DHS sent the press release hours after a Florida sheriff faced widespread backlash for tweets saying law enforcement would arrest people seeking shelter if they had outstanding warrants.

Immigrants currently jailed in detention centers in the projected path of the hurricane have been transferred to other facilities, the statement added.

The eye of Hurricane Irma is not far from San Juan, though some reports suggest it will miss the capital of Puerto Rico.

One death confirmed in Barbuda

Hurricane Irma has caused at least one death on the island of Barbuda, government officials have confirmed. Earlier, officials said 90% of structures on Barbuda were destroyed.

Midcie Francis, spokesperson for National Office of Disaster Services for Antigua and Barbuda, said there has been massive destruction on the island of roughly 1,700 people, the AP is reporting.

Lionel Hurst, the prime minister’s chief of staff, said: “A significant number of the houses have been totally destroyed.”

Macron: "Toll will be harsh and cruel"

French president Emmanuel Macron provided an update from a crisis center set up Wednesday night, saying it’s too early to offer precise figures about the damage, but “the toll will be harsh and cruel”.

Macron said he expects heavy damages and victims will be discovered when Hurricane Irma has left the islands of St Martin and St Barthélemy, the AP reported: “The material damage on both islands is considerable.”

Updated

Hurricane Jose forms in Atlantic

Sam Levin here taking over our live coverage of Irma. Hurricane Jose has officially formed in the open mid-Atlantic ocean, heading for the Caribbean.

Jose poses no immediate threats to land, the US National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday. Jose has winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and is quickly strengthening, the AP reported, noting that the storm’s path could change.

Hurricane Katia has also formed in the Gulf of the coast of Mexico with 75 mph winds. Officials in Mexico have issued a hurricane watch for the coast of the state of Veracruz from Tuxpan to Laguna Verde, according to the AP. Katia is expected to drift toward the coast on Thursday.

Rain and high winds hit the French island territory of Saint Martin on Wednesday as Hurricane Irma churns through the Caribbean. Amateur video shows a boats and debris in a flooded harbour, and cars stranded in flood water.

Puerto Rico is bracing for the possibility that basic services like electricity may take months, not days or weeks, to come back online in some areas of the island after Irma strikes.

And things can change just that quickly. Prime Minister Browne of Antigua and Barbuda reports during press conference that more than 90% of structures on the island of Barbuda were destroyed. Over a shaky radio line Browne repeated the phrase “totally demolished” over and over again. There are unconfirmed reports in local media of one casualty.

Updated

The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda is en route to the latter, and much smaller of the two islands, which sustained a direct hit from Irma last night. Amazingly, it has been more than 12 hours since anyone from the island has made any contact with the rest of the world.

An update is expected after PM Gaston Browne arrives this afternoon. In a press statement earlier today, Browne tried to calm some of people’s worst fears about the storm’s impact.

“With regard to Barbuda, preliminary reports indicate damage to rooves [sic] and to some buildings, but I have had no report of any fatalities...

“Our people are safe, our country is secure and our piece of paradise remains open to be shared by people from all over the world.”

It was not immediately clear where the PM had received his update from. Overnight there were extremely alarming reports from the tiny island which is home to less than 1,500.

Updated

Mandatory evacuation underway in the archipelago of tiny Caribbean islands that make up the Florida Keys. The islands, connected mostly by unelevated causeways near the water level will be extremely vulnerable to isolation if and when torrential rains and storm surge push into the region.

Pigeon Key, Seven Mile Bridge, Florida.
Pigeon Key, Seven Mile Bridge, Florida. Photograph: Mike Theiss/Getty Images/National Geographic Creative

Wow.

The Facebook page Meteorología Del Caribe (Caribbean Meteorology) has been posting live video of the storm throughout the day like this feed from Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

“Reporting from Fajardo!” says the page’s caption for the live stream.

We do not recommend anyone in the storm’s path follow their lead, as close proximity to unshuttered windows during winds of this intensity could lead to severe injury due to shattering glass or flying debris.

Irma breaks another record, this time for sustained wind speed

The storm was already the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic.

Donald Trump is making his rounds on the phone with leaders of states and territories likely to be affected by Irma’s landfall.

Some frequently asked questions on hurricanes and climate change

Are hurricanes becoming more frequent?

It depends where in the world you are looking. When it comes to the Atlantic, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) says it is “premature” to conclude there has been any increase.

Since the 1960s, there have been an average of nearly 12 storms a year in the Atlantic basin, with six turning into hurricanes. Only one or two a year, on average, make landfall in the US.

There has been a recent increase in short-lived tropical storms and hurricanes, which may be linked to better monitoring or to the increase in ocean temperatures in the Atlantic.

But at the same time the US has only just broken its longest “hurricane drought” in history. Before Hurricane Harvey barrelled into Texas, the last category 3 storm to make landfall was Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Hurricane Ike, in 2008, and Hurricane Sandy, in 2012, caused a huge amount of damage but their winds were not as strong.

Are they getting stronger?

The US will experience a severe swing away from its hurricane drought should Hurricane Irma slam into south Florida. Never before have two category 4 or stronger hurricanes hit the US in the same season since records began in 1851.

Studies have shown that Atlantic tropical cyclones are getting stronger, on average, with researchers finding they are reaching category 3 ferocity more quickly over the past three decades. At the moment, the Atlantic is considered “primed” for strong hurricanes because of warm ocean temperatures, weak countervailing winds and high levels of air moisture.

The overall picture is nuanced.

“We’re seeing fewer hurricanes but the ones we do see are more intense,” said Jim Elsner, a geography academic at Florida State who led research in 2015 that found rising warmer ocean temperatures are may be fueling stronger storms.

“When one comes,” he added, “all hell can break loose.”

Hurricane Irma, a record Category 5 storm, churns across the Atlantic Ocean on a collision course with Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Hurricane Irma a record Category 5 storm churns across the Atlantic Ocean on a collision course with Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Photograph: Nasa Nasa/Reuters

What role does climate change play in this?

One of the factors that drove Hurricane Harvey was unusually warm temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico. As hurricanes churn up the oceans, colder water from the depths will normally slow them down. But warming water – the oceans globally are warming up as they absorb extra atmospheric heat generated by human activity – will provide storms with an extra kick.

The warming atmosphere also contributes by adding more water available for rainfall. For every 1F increase in temperature, the atmosphere can hold around 4% more water vapour, which leads to heavier precipitation and worsens flooding.

Meanwhile the oceans, on average globally, have risen by around half a foot over the past century due to the thermal expansion of warming water and run-off from rapidly melting glaciers. Sea level rise is particularly pronounced along the eastern US seaboard.

Even a few millimeters of elevated sea level can cause more damaging flooding as hurricanes whip up storm surge that can inundate areas. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy was a sober reminder of this – the storm was only a category 1 event but it caused the seas to wash into New York City and New Jersey, resulting in tens of billions of dollars in damages.

What should we expect in the future?

While some climate models show no change or even a small reduction in the frequency of hurricanes, scientists are becoming increasingly confident that the storms that remain will become more intense.

US government researchers project a 75% increase in the frequency of category 4 and 5 hurricanes – the two strongest levels – over the coming century, with wind speed expected to increase between 2-11%, on average.

The financial cost of hurricanes is likely to mount, calling into question development planning decisions along the coast and a national flood insurance scheme that is deeply in debt and frequently pays out for poorly situated properties that are repeatedly flooded.

Whether politicians accept that these challenges stem from climate change or not, the US faces tough decisions on how to defend its coastlines, and its population.

In a blogpost Wednesday, billionaire Richard Branson, who owns a private island in the British Virgin Islands explained why he would be staying there through Irma’s potentially catastrophic landfall.

On Necker Island we have constructed really strong buildings (with hurricane blinds) that should be able to handle extreme weather pretty well, though with a Category 5 hurricane almost nothing can withstand it. We had some lovely guests staying on Necker Island who have cut their trip short for safety reasons, and another group of guests have also postponed. I will be on Necker alongside our team, as I have been on the three times we have had hurricanes over the past 30 years.

Our main concern is with the local people of the BVI. For anyone who could be affected by the hurricane, please make sure you are as prepared as possible. In the past, many British Virgin Islanders have shrugged off hurricanes, stayed at home and not gone to shelters. This time the BVI Government and the BVI Tourist board have been very active and providing advice to the local population. With the likelihood of a Category 5 hurricane, it is really important people go to hurricane shelters if possible.”

Branson at his private BVI island home in 1996. A hurricane hits the islands about once every 10 years.
Branson at his private BVI island home in 1996. A hurricane hits the islands about once every 10 years. Photograph: Sipa Press / Rex Features

Michel Magras, senator from the Island of St Barts:

I am shocked by the monster that covers us... The island is devastated. It is apocalyptic, a lot of damage, many roofs destroyed.”

Read more:

Some “key messages” on Irma from the National Hurricane Center.

Tough talk from Florida sheriff will almost certainly cause some who would have sought shelter from the storm to try and ride it out in a less safe location.

Fema director Brock Long spoke with The Weather Channel earlier today about managing dual disasters from hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and about what the agency is doing to prepare.

Very similar to the way we handled Harvey, when it comes to the life safety mission we’re trying to lean as far forward as we can, so we’re operating out of our Caribbean office, we have incident management teams already in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, as well as we’ve fully deployed staff to the state of Florida to begin understanding contingencies and life safety movement that we have to take.”

Fema director Brock Long spoke with The Weather Channel earlier this morning.

Updated

Florida continues to see long lines, fuel and supply shortages and empty shelves as people stock up for landfall.

Updated

An incredible amount of wind with the worst several hours yet to come.

Already almost 200 people have taken haven in five shelters opened by the city authorities in San Juan. Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of the capital, said that such voluntary action was a sign of how on edge Puerto Ricans are about the pending storm, the eye of which is expected to come within 50 or 60 miles.

“This is the first time since I became mayor almost five years ago that people have come to the shelters without anyone have to ask. People are concerned, they are scared...

Puerto Ricans cannot fathom what a category five hurricane is about – it’s something we’ve never heard of.”

The mayor was speaking to the Guardian from her home in San Juan without any electricity – large parts of the city and surrounding towns have been cut off from power in advance of Irma in order to try and protect the island’s grid. “Power infrastructure is very, very fragile and we are expecting to be without power for the next four to six months,” she said.

Beach chairs are seen at a beach as hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico in San Juan, on September 5, 2017. In Puerto Rico, a US territory of 3.5 million, Governor Ricardo Rossello activated the National Guard and announced the opening of storm shelters able to house up to 62,000 people. The major of the Puerto Rican capital San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz Soto, ordered 900 municipal employees -- police, emergency personnel, and aid and social workers -- to report for rotating 12-hour shifts.
Beach chairs are seen at a beach as hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico in San Juan, on September 5, 2017. In Puerto Rico, a US territory of 3.5 million, Governor Ricardo Rossello activated the National Guard and announced the opening of storm shelters able to house up to 62,000 people. The major of the Puerto Rican capital San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz Soto, ordered 900 municipal employees -- police, emergency personnel, and aid and social workers -- to report for rotating 12-hour shifts. Photograph: Ricardo Arduengo/AFP/Getty Images

In Bayamón, a municipality outside San Juan, Juan Collazo, a student at the University of Puerto Rico, said that supermarkets and building merchants were all closed, presenting local people with difficulties preparing for the worst. Water was in short supply days ago, and most houses are still without storm protection because supplies of wood, rope and other materials for boarding up windows were impossible to acquire.

“People are anxious about what’s coming,” he said.

Yahoo Finance is reporting that airline customers looking to get out of the path of Hurricane have been met with dramatic fare spikes for air travel tickets:

On Monday evening, John Lyons, a 53-year-old father from West Hartford, Connecticut, purchased a one-way American Airlines ticket from Miami to Hartford for $159.20 for his daughter to get out of Hurricane Irma’s path as the storm churns through the Caribbean.

On Tuesday, he was shocked at the spike in airfare prices.

‘I logged in and expected to see $160, and frankly if I had seen $260 I wouldn’t have reacted. And I logged in and saw, $1,020, and I about had a heart attack,’ Lyons told Yahoo Finance in a phone interview on Tuesday afternoon.

Lyons, who describes himself as an “amateur meteorologist,” likes to post weather reports on West Hartford’s Facebook page. Although Hurricane Irma poses no direct threat to where he lives, he has been following the storm’s developments.

‘I’m seeing the direct hit on Florida. My daughter is down at the University of Miami, so I called her and said, ‘I’m going to bring you home. If worst comes to worst, we waste money, and you don’t come home, and this thing misses you, and everything is fine.’ I logged in last night and saw $159.20 to be exact. I said you know what; this ticket is so cheap, I’m just going to buy it.’

The next day, he went back to look for a ticket for his daughter’s roommate, who is also a close family friend’s daughter. Shocked at the price increase, he said he even made sure that he didn’t click first class by accident and he also verified that the flight had pretty much the same number of seats available compared to when he checked last night.

‘American Airlines had the audacity to raise the rate $800. I’m sorry. I posted it. You know, I’m angry. I think it’s horrible what they are doing. I just think it’s horrible. I’ll leave it at that.’

Airlines have countered that they have not changed the algorithms that determine their pricing, and that the surges are a simple matter of supply and demand with scores of people trying to book last minute flight out of the storm’s path.

With all eyes on Irma as it careens into the Caribbean, you could be forgiven for missing that “Katia”, the 11th named storm of the season, has been upgraded to a tropical storm by the NWS this morning. Katia is currently sitting in the lower Gulf of Mexico and is making a slow trudge towards eastern Mexico.

Irma is currently pushing into Puerto Rico with the eyewall- the strongest part of the storm- forecast in most models to pass just north of capitol city San Juan.

Jamiles Lartey here picking up with the liveblog from Matthew. A bit of NFL news from stateside as the league has announced that the opening day game between the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers originally scheduled for Sunday has been postponed until November.

Luckily for the league, both teams had a bye week scheduled for November 19, making it a simple choice for rescheduling the game. Unfortunately for the teams, this means they will play 16 straight games with no break, raising the issue of player safety for many observers.

The Antigua Met Service reports minimal damage to both Antigua and Barbuda where Irma first made landfall.

But there has been no contact with Barbuda since 12.30am.

Three people sought medical attention at the St John Medical Centre on Antigua, and several roofs were damaged on the island.

Antigua resident, Geoffrey Pidduck, posted images to Facebook showing minor damage. “We were spared”, he wrote.

Here’s a graphic showing the expected path of Irma and the probability of tropical storm level winds hitting the areas marked.

default

Updated

More frightening webcam footage from St Martin as Irma struck the island ...

The Miami Herald reports long queues of cars outside Florida petrol stations that haven’t already run out of fuel.

Liam Dutton, Channel 4 News’ weather forecaster, gives a UK perspective on the size of Irma.

Irma has caused “major damage” on several Caribbean islands, French Overseas Territories Minister Annick Girardin, said, according to AFP.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb also said that government buildings on the island of Saint Martin - the most sturdy built there - had been destroyed.

“We know that the four most solid buildings on the island have been destroyed which means that more rustic structures have probably been completely or partially destroyed,” he told reporters.

French officials confirm flooding and blackouts on St Martin and St Barthélemy

The French government has confirmed widespread flooding and electrical blackouts on the islands of St Barthélemy and St Martin.

In a situation report time-stamped 7.30am (it is now 8.25am) breaks down the impact on both islands.

St Barthélemy

  • The fire station is under 1m of water and fire engine are out of service. Firefighters are taking refuge of the first floor.
  • Several homes have been damaged and roofs blown off.
  • There is a total electricity blackout and the main EDF sub station is out of action.

St Martin

  • Government offices have been partly destroyed.
  • The island prefect and 23 staff are taking shelter in a concrete-lined room.
  • The fire station has been damaged
  • The island has been without electricity since 6am
  • Police have reported several roofs have blown off in the storm

The first video of floods on St Barthélemy has emerged.

And more video shows the impact on the neighbouring islands of St Martin to the north west.

Updated

Summary

  • Irma, a category 5 hurricane has hit the Caribbean islands of St Martin and St Bartélemy after earlier making landfall on the island Barbuda with winds of up to 185mph (295kph) and heavy rain. The French interior ministry has issued a high alert for the islands. Video from St Martin showed widespread flooding.
  • President Donald Trump says his administration is closely watching Irma as it heads towards Florida. He tweeted that his “team, which has done, and is doing, such a good job in Texas, is already in Florida.”
  • Irma has become the most powerful ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. The US National Hurricane Center has warned of a “potentially catastrophic” impacts and urged “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion” in the islands in its immediate path.
  • Tropical storm Jose, the weather system behind Irma, is now forecast to become a hurricane by tonight. It is forecast to hit the Caribbean islands currently being lashed by Irma, at the weekend. Another tropical storm, Katia, has formed in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • A red alert for Guadeloupe has been lifted, after Hurricane Irma passed further north than feared. The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browe, said the islands were spared worst. There was similar relief in St Kitts and Nevis.
  • The British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas are also due to be hit. A mandatory evacuation of islands in the southern Bahamas will take place on Wednesday.
  • The hurricane is also forecast to hit the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Turks and Caicos, and Cuba, before Irma heads, potentially, for Florida at the end of the week.
  • The NHC has also warned of heavy rainfalls of around 8-12 inches (20-30cm), and up to 20 inches (50cm) in some areas. It cautions: “These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.”

Video has emerged to purporting to show flooding in Philipsburg on the southern coast of St Maarten - the Dutch half of St Martin.

More devastating flooding on the island is captured here:

Updated

A red hurricane alert has been lifted in Guadeloupe, but the authorities are still warning of heavy rain and storms and a “dangerous sea”.

The worst is also reported to have passed on St Kitts and Nevis.

Updated

Irma hits St Martin and St Barthélemy

Irma has made landfall on the French-governed islands of St Martin and St Barthélemy, according to the French met office.

Winds of up to 295km (183 miles) per hour were recorded on St Martin according to the met office of the Dominican Republic.

Trump watching Irma 'closely'

Donald Trump has tweeted that he is watching Irma closely. He adds: “My team, which has done, and is doing, such a good job in Texas, is already in Florida. No rest for the weary!”

PTZtv, a livestreaming video company based in Florida, has obtained webcam footage purporting to show St Maarten as Irma hit.

Updated

Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, tweeted that the islands have been spared the worst.

Irma made landfall on Barbuda earlier on Wednesday and narrowly skirted Antigua. It has moved away from Barbuda and is heading towards St Martin/

Florida Senator Maro Rubio, reminds people in the south of the state to prepare or evacuate by Friday night.

Floridians have been stocking up on bottled water.

Residents of south Florida line up to buy water at Walmart in Fort Lauderdale in preparation for hurricane Irma.
Residents of south Florida line up to buy water at Walmart in Fort Lauderdale in preparation for hurricane Irma. Photograph: Ben-E/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock

Ricardo Rossello
Ricardo Rossello Photograph: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Ricardo Rosselló, governor of Puerto Rico, says the island has been preparing for a week for what is set to its worst ever hurricane.

“We are hoping for the best but of course preparing for the worst,” he told CNN. Irma is due to hit northern Puerto Rico this evening.

Rosselló added: “This is a category 5 hurricane unlike has never been seen before, so although we hope that the trajectory continues up northwards, we are preparing for the worst. Keeping people safe is our main objective.”

He added: “Flooding is a main concern. We just saw with Harvey how the main cause of death was essentially flooding ... The second area of concern is wind. Category five winds are really aggressive, it is essentially the speed of an airplane taking off. These are very strong winds that we are talking about, something that we have never experienced here in Puerto Rico.”

Christopher Rodriguez is supported as he installs wood panels over a shop window in preparation for Hurricane Irma, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Christopher Rodriguez is supported as he installs wood panels over a shop window in preparation for Hurricane Irma, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico Photograph: Carlos Giusti/AP

Alex Woolfall, from London, has been providing increasingly frantic updates from St Maarten, the southern Dutch half of St Martin, which Irma is due to hit after St Barthélemy.

Updated

Worryingly the weather station on St Barthélemy, where Irma is forecast to hit next, is reported to be down.

New tropical storm

As Hurricane Irma starts to hit more Caribbean islands, with another hurricane (Jose) expected behind it, yet another tropical storm has formed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Katia formed early on Wednesday off the coast of Mexico with sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 kph) which could strengthen in the coming days, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It expected to stay offshore for the rest of the week.

Pope Francis’s flight from Rome to Colombia has changed route to avoid Irma, Reuters reports.

The Alitalia aircraft had been expected to fly over Puerto Rico, but will instead shift south and cross the islands of Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad, a Vatican official said.

Francis is making his 20th foreign trip as pontiff and his fifth to his native Latin America. He will spend five days in Colombia to encourage the peace process.

Forecast track of Hurricane Irma
Forecast track of Hurricane Irma Photograph: National Hurricane Centre

An update from the US National Hurricane Center says Irma will hit the northern Leeward Islands this morning, the Virgin Islands later today, and pass near Puerto Rico tonight.

The eye of Hurricane Irma has moved away from Barbuda and is heading towards St Martin, it said. Maximum sustained winds of about 185 mph (295 km/h) with higher gusts are forecast.

“Irma is forecast to remain a powerful category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next couple of days,” it said. Hurricane force winds up to 50 miles (85km) from the centre are expected.

The combination of a life-threatening storm surge and large breaking waves will raise water levels by up to 11ft (3.35 metres) on the Turks and Caicos Islands and northern Puerto Rico; up to 20ft (6.1 metres) on south-eastern Bahamas, and the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.

Updated

Another hurricane forecast

Tropical storm Jose, the weather system behind Irma, is now forecast to become a hurricane by tonight.

The US National Hurricane Center just issued this warning about Jose.

It said:

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 60mph (95km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast, and Jose is expected to become a hurricane by tonight.

Jose is forecast to hit the Caribbean islands currently being lashed by Irma, at the weekend.

Updated

The storm is approaching the French overseas collectives of St Martin and St Barthélemy.

A web cam on the St Barthélemy purports to show the impact.

Gusts of 76.3 miles (122.9km) per hour have been reported on St Barthélemy.

The worst of the conditions are expected between 4am and 3pm (local time) according to the French interior ministry. It is now 4.35am on the islands.

Updated

Guadeloupe, an administrative department of France, has been placed on red alert. People have been told to stay in the safest room in their homes, and some homes by the coast have been evacuated. Schools and government buildings will be closed on Wednesday.

The people of St Kitts and Nevis, where Irma is due to hit next, have been ordered indoors until further notice.

Prime minister Timothy Harris warned that the impact of the hurricane is forecast to be “extremely dangerous”.

In a statement, he said: “The security forces have advised that the public should be foremost concerned about their safety and wellbeing and therefore should refrain from being on the streets after 6pm. Only essential workers are expected to be outdoors and on the streets. Moreover, we seriously advise, for their own safety and security, that our citizens and residents remain indoors and continue to listen to all official advisories on the hurricane. The official government agencies will indicate when it is safe to venture outdoors after the passage of the hurricane.”

“All of our national security agencies have been fully mobilized and are on highest alert.”

Journalist Zachary Kaufman said St Kitts still has electricity and water, but is preparing for the worst.

Updated

Aid agencies are preparing a major humanitarian response operation to help the Caribbean islands in Irma’s path.

Walter Cotte, Americas regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the forecast was “extremely worrying” and added he was “anticipating major impacts on a number of islands”.

He said: “We are especially worried that Irma could affect areas that have been suffering with severe rainfall in the past months. One of the main challenges is going to be logistical, given the isolation of some the islands. We need to ensure a reliable channel for relief efforts in the aftermath of the hurricane.”

The Red Cross has released an initial 120,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis. The World Food Programme has moved a convoy of contingency food supplies to the north of Haiti. Irma is forecast to pass north of Haiti on Thursday night and Friday morning.

UN relief chief Mark Lowcock tweeted that he is tracking Irma closely.

Updated

What we know so far

  • Hurricane Irma, now a category 5 storm, has passed directly over the Caribbean island of Barbuda, and swiped its sister island of Antigua, lashing both with winds of up to 185mph (295kph) and heavy rain.
  • The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Irma – which has become the most powerful ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean – is “potentially catastrophic” and warns that “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion” in the islands in its immediate path.
  • Irma continues to move in a west-north-westerly direction, with Anguilla and St Kitts & Nevis next in its path.
  • The British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas are also due to be hit. A mandatory evacuation of islands in the southern Bahamas will take place on Wednesday.
  • The French interior ministry has issued a high alert for those on the French overseas collectivities of St Martin and St Barthélemy.
  • The full list of islands with hurricane warnings in place is here.
  • The hurricane is also forecast to hit the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Turks and Caicos, and Cuba, before Irma heads, potentially, for Florida at the end of the week.
  • The NHC has also warned of heavy rainfalls of around 8-12 inches (20-30cm), and up to 20 inches (50cm) in some areas. It cautions:

These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

  • The Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale describes category 5 as:

Catastrophic damage will occur: A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas.

Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

The meteorological department for St Maarten (a Caribbean island that is part of the Netherlands) says it expects the eye of Irma to pass over the island at around 8am Wednesday local time – that’s in around five hours from now.

It says sustained winds in St Maarten have already reached storm force, with gusts of 56mph (90kph).

The northern part of the island is the French overseas collectivity of St Martin, where the French interior ministry has issued a high alert.

Irma’s eye has now passed over Barbuda, though the island remains in the eyewall, thrashed by high winds.

The hurricane continues to move west-north-west, with the island of Anguilla next in its path.

It is difficult to find fresh information about Irma’s effects on Barbuda, where the small population of less than 2,000 people is without power and phone lines.

Officials had earlier cautioned residents, and those on the sister island of Antigua, to take shelter in a statement that concluded: “May God protect us all.”

Heavy rains and winds have been reported from Antigua, where most of the Caribbean country’s population lives. More than 40 official shelters were set up for people there.

Little could have prepared the islands for a hurricane of this intensity, Associated Press reports:

On the 108-square-mile island of Antigua, people who live in low-lying areas were staying with friends and relatives on higher ground or sleeping in churches, schools and community facilities built to withstand hurricanes. None of the shelters have yet been tested by category 5 winds, however.

Many homes in Antigua and Barbuda are not built on concrete foundations or have poorly constructed wooden roofs that are susceptible to wind damage.

The US National Hurricane Center says a hurricane warning remains in place for the following islands:

  • Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis
  • Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten
  • Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy
  • British Virgin Islands
  • US Virgin Islands
  • Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra
  • Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the northern border with Haiti
  • Guadeloupe

People on those islands are warned that Irma is is “potentially catastrophic” and the NHC has urged that “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion” in the islands in its immediate path.

Irma is forecast to then travel on through Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, Cuba and potentially to hit Florida before the weekend.

Updated

This image, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows Hurricane Irma captured by NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite as it strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane in the central Atlantic Ocean:

Hurricane Irma.

Mandatory evacuation of islands in southern Bahamas

Associated Press reports:

Bahamas prime minister Hubert Minnis says his government has ordered a mandatory evacuation of islands in the southern part of the island chain because of Hurricane Irma.

Minnis says the category 5 storm poses a dire threat to the islands of Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay and Ragged Island.

People who live on the islands will be flown on Wednesday to Nassau on the island of New Providence. Minnis says it will be the largest hurricane evacuation in the history of the Bahamas.

People who don’t evacuate will be at “great danger” from storm surge caused by what he called a “monster” hurricane.

Minnis says emergency personnel may not be available to rescue them when the storm is at its height between Thursday and Friday.

We are hearing very little directly from Barbuda – which has a small population of less than 2,000 and which is in the eye of Irma – but some reports from Antigua of very strong wind gusts. It is currently 2.10am in Antigua and it will be difficult to assess damage before daylight.

A 2am AST (Atlantic standard time, which is four hours behind GMT) update from the US National Hurricane Center notes:

Eye of potentially catastrophic category 5 Hurricane Irma passing over Barbuda.

Maximum sustained winds are still at a devastating 185mph (295kph) and the hurricane continues to move in a west-north-westerly direction at 15mph (24kph).

Irma is passing 40 miles (65km) north of Barbuda’s sister island, Antigua – it was earlier reported that hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 60 miles (95km) from the centre.

Next in line are Anguilla, Montserrat and St Kitts & Nevis.

As the hurricane batters its way across Barbuda and Antigua, several more islands are in its path. Anguilla and St Kitts & Nevis are next, before Irma moves on to both the US and British Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas and Cuba will all feel the effects, before Irma heads, potentially, for Florida at the end of the week.

Six islands in the Bahamas will be evacuated on Wednesday, and tour operators said holidaymakers in coastal resorts will be moved to emergency shelters.

With Barbuda now in the eye of the hurricane, people on the island have been warned not to be reassured by the – temporary – calm. They should stay inside.

The Antigua Chronicle reports that “several homes” in its sister island of Barbuda have lost their roofs. News will understandably take a while to filter through from the island, which has a small population and where communication must be close to impossible at the moment.

We appear to have lost the Barbuda weather station again.

The French interior ministry has issued another high alert for those on the islands of St Martin and St Barthélemy, both French overseas collectivities that are in the forecast path of Irma.

Residents and visitors are advised to stay inside and not to leave under any circumstances, finding a safe place in their homes and buildings to shelter. They should make sure they have water and batteries, in case of power failures.

Barbuda in the eye of Irma

The north-eastern part of the island is now in the eye of the hurricane. Sustained wind speeds are up to 108mph (174kph), with gusts reaching 155mph (250kph), the Trinidad and Tobago weather centre reports.

With the battering winds of Irma also comes heavy rainfall. The US National Hurricane Center has warned that the northern Leeward Islands – which includes Antigua and Barbuda – face around 8-12 inches (20-30cm) of rain, and up to 20 inches (50cm) in some areas. It cautions:

These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

Residents in Barbuda – who number less than 2,000 – have been warned not to go outside as the hurricane passes over the island. A shelter has reportedly been opened for those forced from their homes. Most on the island live in Codrington, on the west side of the island.

The Barbuda weather station, which had fallen ominously silent as Irma approached, has revived, although is running a little behind time. Its most recent post at 12.30am AST (30 minutes ago) logged wind speed at 81mph and gusts at 105mph – this is now likely to be considerably higher.

(Thanks to reader Stephen Goldstein, who spotted its return.)

Updated

Barbuda is the island immediately to the west of the hurricane’s eye; Irma is moving westwards.

Irma hits Barbuda

Hurricane Irma has hit the island of Barbuda. Sustained winds there are now at 90mph, with gusts of 117mph – and rising.

Barbuda in this image is the island marked within the green and yellow eyewall – the ring around the very centre of the hurricane. The eye of the hurricane will very soon pass over the island.

What is a category 5 hurricane?

Category 5 hurricanes are rare and can bring with them life-threatening winds, storm surges and heavy rainfall.

(Hurricane Harvey, which last week flooded Houston, was category 4.)

The Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale describes category 5 as:

Catastrophic damage will occur: A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas.

Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

There is no category 6.

Updated

A weather station in Barbuda that was recording for the National Weather Service wind speed and direction every six minutes has fallen silent: its last posting was at 12.12am AST (30 minutes ago), when gusts of 87mph were logged.

Striking images show Hurricane Irma as it hurtles towards Barbuda; Antigua will also be caught in its eyewall.

This graphic shows the path taken by, and forecast for, Hurricane Irma as it tracks across the Caribbean (times are local, which is GMT - 4 hours):

Irma path

Irma moved into the record books late on Tuesday with sustained wind speeds of 185mph (295kph), making it the most powerful ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean.

There have been three other storms in the Atlantic region that were as strong – 2005’s Wilma, 1988’s Gilbert and a 1935 great Florida Key storm all reached 185mph – but all were in the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, where warmer waters make battering hurricanes more likely. Hurricane Allen, which got to 190mph in 1980, was another that hit its peak over the Gulf of Mexico.

Irma is currently over water that is one degree celsius (1.8F) warmer than normal, fuelling its intensity.

Barbuda will be the first to bear the brunt of Irma as it hurtles westwards. The island has a tiny population of around 2,000, most of whom live in the town of Codrington.

A shelter has reportedly been opened on the island for those needing to leave their homes.

It’s currently midnight Atlantic Standard Time, which covers the islands in the immediate path of Irma.

The hurricane is heading towards Antigua and Barbuda with sustained winds of 185mph (295kph), according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami.

Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 60 miles (95km) from the centre, with tropical storm-force winds reaching up to 175 miles (280km).

The northern Leeward Islands are also expected to see waves as high as 11 feet (3.3 metres) as the hurricane passes over.

Hurricane Irma – now a category 5 storm and the most powerful ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean – is about to hit the Caribbean Leeward Islands of Antigua and Barbuda.

The most recent advisory from the US National Hurricane Center warns that Irma is “potentially catastrophic” and has urged that “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion” in the islands in its immediate path.

Those islands include:

  • Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis
  • Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten
  • Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy
  • British Virgin Islands
  • US Virgin Islands
  • Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra
  • Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the northern border with Haiti
  • Guadeloupe

Irma is forecast to then travel on through Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, Cuba and potentially to hit Florida before the weekend.

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