Hurricane Irma kills at least 11 in Caribbean as Florida braces for storm - latest news

• Most powerful Atlantic hurricane leaves at least 11 dead

• Caribbean island of Barbuda 'rubble' after 'total devastation'

• Path takes it towards Bahamas this evening

• Emergency declared as storm heads to Cuba and Florida

• Irma will be 'truly devastating' for US, says emergency chief

• Donald Trump's luxury resorts in path of Hurricane Irma

• British mother fears for daughters missing on Barbuda

• What to do if you are on holiday in the path of the storm

Hurricane Irma is continuing to tear a deadly path through the Caribbean, causing widespread destruction and reducing buildings to rubble, on a track that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida.

The American state is bracing for the arrival of the Atlantic's most deadly storm in history, which has already left at least 11 people dead and thousands homeless. Emergency chiefs warn it will have a "truly devastating" impact on the US.

The United Nations estimates that up to 37 million people could be affected by the category five hurricane, which was sustaining winds of 180mph as it moved off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic on Thursday.

Irma is moving at around 16mph on a course forecast to take it toward Turks and Caicos and the south-eastern Bahamas by Thursday evening - and near the Central Bahamas by Friday. Florida is braced for a possible direct hit from Saturday, with forecasters predicting it could strike the entire Atlantic coast and rage into Georgia and South Carolina.

On the small island of Barbuda, the category five hurricane destroyed nearly all buildings and left it "barely habitable" after striking in the early hours of Wednesday. 

Gaston Browne, the Prime Minister of Barbuda, said the island is "literally rubble" amid scenes of "total carnage". He added: "The entire housing stock was damaged. It is just total devastation."

Officials warned that the island of Saint-Martin is "almost destroyed". The death toll is expected to rise on both islands.

A British mother told of her fears for her two daughters - a pregnant hotel worker and an ex-beauty queen - who are missing on Barbuda and have not been heard from since Irma struck.

Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico early on Thursday, covering the US territory with heavy wind and rain as it headed towards the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Meanwhile, two other storms have strengthened to become hurricanes. It is feared Hurricane Jose will bring winds of up to 129mph and is expected to follow a similar path when it arrives over the weekend. 

While the Caribbean faces the possibility of being affected by a second major hurricane, Mexico is braced for the arrival of Hurricane Katia on Friday evening.

Stay with us for the latest updates through the day.

4:56PM

The aunt of two missing British women has called for Richard Branson to help find her family

Ruth Bolton, the aunt of two young British women who were on the island of Barbuda when it was hit by Hurricane Irma, has called on the billionaire philanthropist to help her contact her nieces.

Branson's private island, Necker, was hit Hurricane Irma but he rode out the storm in his wine cellar.

Ruth said: "The silence is unbearable. Richard Branson has felt the Hurricane's effects from his island so he knows what it's like and it is so important for the Barbudans to contact their families."

Ruth has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for a satellite phone for Barbuda so she can get in touch with her family and urges the Virgin Airways boss to fly them over.

She added: "Since I set up the GoFundMe page we have raised all the money to buy the satellite phones but I've tried ordering them from Antigua but they don't have any, and through Miami but they are also affected by the storm.

"I'm now looking to order them from the UK and if Richard Branson could fly them over it would be amazing."

She last heard from the former Miss Antigua Asha Frank, 29, and her seven-month pregnant sister Afiya, 27, at 10.30pm on Wednesday.

Ruth, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, said the two women messaged her on Whatsapp to say they were preparing for the hurricane.

She added: "We know the first thing they would do once they could was to contact us and tell us they are OK so it is worrying that they haven't."

"In preparation for the hurricane, the electricity was turned off in the island- which is the safest thing for them to do but means we can't get in touch with them.

"It's awful waiting to hear the news about them and we are worried if nothing is done quickly that they will have spent another night stranded."

4:21PM

British holidaymakers are forced to find refuge in the Dominican Republic

British holidaymakers have been forced to find refuge in the theatre building of a hotel in the Dominican Republic, as the category five hurricane rages on.

The Dreams hotel, where the travellers have been hiding, is in Punta Cana, a region on the easternmost tip of the island.

Leslie and Janet Oliver, a couple from Cambridge, are among the holidaymakers forced to find refuge.

3:57PM

The Queen has said she is "shocked and saddened" by the storm

The Queen, who is the constitutional monarch of Antigua and Barbuda has offered her thoughts and prayers following the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.

She said: "Prince Philip and I have been shocked and saddened by the reports of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed or adversely affected by this terrible storm.

"Please convey my gratitude and good wishes to members of the emergency services and to those who are working on the rescue effort at this very difficult time for you all."

3:53PM

Caroline Lucas urged to show more humanity over Hurricane Irma

The comments, made by Sir Alan Duncan, came after the Green Party MP urged the Government to show the leadership on the climate change it "likes to claim in theory".

"May I just say that I think she has deeply misjudged the tone of this House today," said Sir Alan Duncan, who updated MPs about the hurricane today.

"We are seeing people in deep and urgent, immediate need, and we are also leading the world on climate change, and she ought to show a bit more urgent and immediate humanity than make the point she's made today."

Ms Lucas had said she welcomed the minister's commitment to immediate relief for those affected.

She added: "With respect, I think that today is precisely the day we need to be talking about those broader causes.

"As we just heard, Gaston Brown, the leader of Antigua and Barbuda, is talking about climate change today.

"Can he reassure the house that we don't have to wait for a hurricane to hit the UK before we have the kind of policies we need from this Government to tackle climate breakdown?

"Because without that, we are not going to see the climate leadership that this Government likes to claim in theory actually being shown in practice."

3:41PM

Irma might be downgraded to a Category 4 storm

While Irma's precise course remains uncertain, the hurricane is likely to be downgraded to a Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall in Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Irma has become a little less organised over the past few hours, says the NHC, but the threat of a direct hurricane impact in Florida over the weekend and early next week is increasing.

Meanwhile, the hurricane has claimed another life, raising the death toll of Hurricane Irma to at least 11.

3:21PM

'We cannot save you after the storm starts', warns Florida Governor

Florida Governor Rick Scott has urged residents in evacuation areas to leave because "we cannot save you after the storm starts".

Speaking at the City of Hialeah Emergency Management Center, he said that one of the top priorities was the availability of fuel, assuring residents: "We are working around the clock to get fuel to you."

In a further bid to calm Floridians, he said that residents should get in touch with Florida's transportation hotline if they had concerns about evacuating, adding: "We will get you out."

Across the state, universities have cancelled classes and closed campuses, while Miami-Dade public schools have already shut their doors.

The Miami International Auto Show, scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed and major tourist attractions including Miami Zoo, the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Discovery and Science will also be closing today.

In a twist, a City of Miami meeting to discuss how it can help with the Hurricane Harvey relief effort, has been cancelled. The Floridians are preparing for a relief effort of their own. 

2:56PM

Bahama airports shut down ahead of Irma

Airports in the Bahamas are shutting down with the approach of Hurricane Irma.

The government said the international airport in Nassau will close late on Thursday and it urged people who plan to leave the island chain east of Florida to check with airlines for space.

Grand Bahama's airport and the less-populated island throughout the chain will close by noon Friday.

2:48PM

What are the Florida Keys, in the path of Irma?

2:42PM

Mapped: Donald Trump's resorts in Irma's path

Donald Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach is one of the resorts in the path of Hurricane Irma, said his administration is monitoring Irma closely.

"It looks like it could be something that could be not good, believe me not good," the US President said.

Here are the other Trump resorts in the path of the hurricane:

2:30PM

Donald Trump urges people to 'be careful, be safe'

President Donald Trump is urging people to "be careful, be safe" during Hurricane Irma.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, he said that Irma "is raging but we have great teams of talented and brave people already in place and ready to help." Trump asked people to "be careful, be safe!"

He had said on  Wednesday that the storm "looks like it could be something that could be not good, believe me, not good".  

2:28PM

French President Macron: France is 'grief-stricken' by devastation

French President Emmanuel Macron said France is "grief-stricken" by the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma - and he is calling for concerted efforts to tackle global warming and climate change to prevent similar future natural disasters.

Speaking  during a visit to Greece, Macron said the planet's situation must be stabilised and that leaders must make take steps to combat global warming "so we can avoid such natural disasters in the future."

2:17PM

Highway patrols help drivers fleeing South Florida

The Florida Highway Patrol says troopers are monitoring the high volume of traffic heading north on Florida's Turnpike as people evacuate South Florida.

In a news release on Thursday, the highway patrol said extra troopers, road rangers and wreckers will be on the roads to help drivers.

The agency says disabled vehicles left on the hard shoulders would be towed starting on Thursday morning to make it easier for emergency workers who are trying to reach crash victims.

Turnpike officials are also using cameras along the road to monitor conditions.

2:14PM

Storm could carve up Florida's priciest real estate

On the US mainland, authorities fear the hurricane might slam into the Florida peninsula over the weekend, just days after Storm Harvey devastated Texas.

Forecasts suggest Irma's most destructive winds could carve up much of Florida's priciest real estate, damaging properties from the Florida Keys through to Jacksonville as it swirls north.

Officials are making preparations to potentially shut down two nuclear power stations in the Sunshine State, while evacuation orders have been issued in parts of Miami and the Florida Keys.

1:47PM

Irma will be 'truly devastating' for US, says emergency chief

Hurricane Irma will have a "truly devastating" impact when it slams into southern coastal areas of the United States, the head of the US emergency agency said on Thursday.

"The majority of people along the coast have never experienced a major hurricane like this," said Brock Long, chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "It will be truly devastating."

1:33PM

Dutch PM describes scale of devastation on Caribbean island

The Dutch prime minister says Hurricane Irma was a storm of "epic proportions" when it slammed into the former Dutch colony of Saint-Maarten in the Caribbean and is appealing to Dutch citizens to donate to a relief fund set up by the Red Cross.

Speaking on Thursday after a meeting of the government's crisis committee, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said there are no reports yet of casualties on the Dutch side of the island. He said the damage is huge, particularly on Saint-Maarten, with "widescale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses".

He said: "There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark, in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world."

The Dutch military is preparing two aircraft to fly to the region to distribute vital aid to the shattered territory, which is home to some 40,000 people. However, the airport on the Dutch side of the island is badly damaged.

1:18PM

'Saint-Martin needs your prayers': Pictures of island devastation

1:17PM

Irma is longest-lasting, top-intensity cyclone ever recorded

Hurricane Irma has produced sustained winds at 183mph for more than 33 hours, making it the longest-lasting, top-intensity cyclone ever recorded, France's national weather service said.

"Such an intensity, for such a long period, has never been observed in the satellite era," which began in the early 1970s, said Etienne Kapikian, a forecaster at Meteo France.

"And it is continuing," he said, adding that Irma would probably remain a category five storm at least until it hits the Bahamas.

1:11PM

Where will Hurricane Irma travel next?

On Thursday morning, Irma's eye was about 95 miles north of Punta Canta on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, having passed Puerto Rico, where it left more than 900,000 people without power.

Irma is moving at around 16mph on a course forecast to take it toward Turks and Caicos and the south-eastern Bahamas by Thursday evening, and near the Central Bahamas by Friday.

An alert sent by the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies on Grand Turk urged residents near the coasts to take shelter on higher ground, warning the storm surge could raise water levels by 15 to 20 feet above the normal tide.

Maximum sustained winds have fallen slightly to 180 mph (285 km/h) with higher gusts, and the storm is forecast to remain a category four or five over the next few days.

12:48PM

Concrete walls 'shook like cardboard': Caribbean island in 'state of shock' after hurricane

Some 95 per cent of the French side of Saint-Martin, the Caribbean island half of which is Dutch, has been "destroyed", said a local official, reports Henry Samuel.

Daniel Gibbs, president of the territorial council, said the entire island was in a "state of shock".

He added: "This is a huge catastrophe: 95 per cent of the island of Saint-Martin is destroyed."

Steve Prudent, a local journalist with Outre-mer 1ere, recounted how he had sought refuge in a hotel that was deemed a "safe place".

However, he said; "several bedrooms literally imploded", while the concrete walls "shook like cardboard".

"Everything that didn't have a minium of solidity no longer exists," he said. "It's a nightmare."

In Saint-Barthélemy, the French island, one inhabitant, Kevin, told BFM TV: "We discovered horror. This is no longer the same place we lived in before. I really get the impression I'm no longer on the same rock."

The state prefect of Guadeloupe, a French island that escaped the worst of the storm, said: "The situation is dramatic. The two islands are without drinking water, without electricity, public buildings are unusable.

"Houses are destroyed, trees uprooted and the emergency services themselves are devastated."

Aid was being sent from Guadeloupe to the islands, including 150 French rescue workers who arrived there on Thursday. 

A French military plane was due to land on an airstrip on the north of Saint-Martin. It is carrying water and medical equipment, and sniffer dogs to find victims buried under debris.

12:39PM

UK Government makes £12m available to relief effort

Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan said the UK was doing its "utmost" to bring urgent assistance.

Delivering an urgent statement on the disaster in the Commons, Sir Alan told MPs that £12million had been made immediately through its "rapid response mechanism for disaster relief and recovery".

Sir Alan said the Government's focus was on "everybody", not just tourists in the Caribbean. He said: 

Sir Alan said RFA Mounts Bay was in the Caribbean and should reach the affected territories later on Thursday, and was loaded with equipment intended to respond to disasters such as that caused by Irma.

He added: "Dfid stands ready to charter flights to deliver additional supplies as appropriate."

12:35PM

Thomas Cook sends team to help stranded British holidaymakers

Thomas Cook said they have sent 18 members of their special assistance team to Cuba and the Dominican Republic to help stranded holidaymakers.

They are evacuating customers in Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and Cayo Santa Maria to Varadero in Cuba, part of which is still in the storm's projected path.

Thousands of British tourists are believed to be holidaying in the Caribbean, the travel association ABTA said.

Britons in the region have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida - amid fears Miami could be struck directly by the hurricane.

12:28PM

How the hurricane is likely to spread over the Bahamas today - and into Florida on Saturday

12:22PM

Key messages about Hurricane Irma

America's National Hurricane Centre has posted what it says are the key messages people should know about Hurricane Irma, which it says has an increasing risk of its impacting Florida over the weekend.

12:16PM

Pregnant hotel worker and ex-beauty queen missing: British mother fears for daughters on Barbuda

A British mother who has not heard from her two daughters on Barbuda since Hurricane Irma struck said she "wants answers".

Claire Frank and her Barbudan partner Mackenzie, who are staying with family in Britain, last heard from their daughters at around 10.30pm on Whatsapp on Tuesday evening and are "very concerned".

Six months pregnant Afiya Frank, 27, a hotel worker due to fly back to the UK next week ahead of the birth, has not made contact since the storm hit the tiny island, killing a two-year-old child.

Her sister Asha Frank, 29, a former teacher and 2015 beauty queen who was recently elected as a member of the Barbuda council, was with her.

Mrs Frank said the sisters had gone to take refuge in the family's newly built property - "a strong brick house with a new roof" - but have received no news on how they are doing or if the house is still standing.

She said: "Still to this day we don't know whether everyone in Barbuda has been accounted for and that includes my daughters.

"On Tuesday evening we were discussing how they would board up and get ready. They've been in a hurricane before so they understand the requirements... so they would have had wood ready to board up and they had already started to do it, and they had water and stuff stored up."

She said she was "angry" that satellite phones had not been put on the island to help those stuck communicate with loved ones to let them know they were unharmed.

She added: "We are part of a small and very tight-knit community, and most of the people in Barbuda have family in the UK or Canada or the US, and we know all those families, and they will know as little as we do.

"We know the community is looking after each other, so I'm not worried in that sense, we've been through all kinds of things together, but I think (the Prime Minister) owes it to people around the world who could see in front of their eyes that Barbuda was going to be the first land that this mega-storm hit, I think he owes it to his people to say exactly what has happened in Barbuda and make some sort of communication possible, and then we will all stop worrying.

"So I'm very worried about my daughters, until I hear from them, along with all the other Barbudans who don't know if their houses are intact, who don't know if their family members have been injured, who don't know if it's going to be relief between now and the next hurricane. We want some answers."

Mrs Frank met her husband in Leicester, and they have lived on the Caribbean island for 30 years.

Their two daughters were born in the UK and moved to Barbuda when they were young, while the couple's son was born on the island but now works in England.

11:59AM

COBRA meeting held to coordinate British response to Irma 

A meeting of the Government's emergency COBRA committee is being held to coordinate the response to Hurricane Irma after Prime Minister Theresa May discussed the situation with French President Emmanuel Macron by telephone.

The Prime Minister and Mr Macron agreed both countries would work together to help deal with the devastation caused by the hurricane, and Mrs May told the president that advisers from the Department for International Development (DfID) have been sent to impacted areas. The PM's spokesman told a Westminster briefing:

11:56AM

Half of Puerto Rico's homes without power

Irma hit Puerto Rico early on Thursday, buffeting its capital San Juan with rain and wind that scattered trees across roads.

At least half of Puerto Rico's homes and businesses were without power, according to Twitter posts and a message posted by an island utility executive.

11:46AM

Delta flight makes quick escape from Puerto Rico

A Delta flight raced against Hurricane Irma, landing in Puerto Rico and taking off again within an hour just as the category five storm was bearing down on the island, reports Chris Graham.

FlightAware data showed that the Boeing 737 left New York at 8.12am and arrived in San Juan at 12.01pm, just as Irma was set to make landfall.

Less than an hour later, it took off  from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in decidedly blustery conditions.

Pictures posted on social media showed the flight heading straight into the path of the hurricane. Click here to read more.

11:36AM

Four days of food supplies sent to two islands hit by storm

Around 100,000 food rations have been sent to the islands of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy, which is the equivalent of four days of supplies.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said an inspection of the islands will continue at daybreak.

Speaking at a news conference, he said: "It's a tragedy, we'll need to rebuild both islands. Most of the schools have been destroyed."

11:13AM

British Red Cross launches appeal for victims

British Red Cross has launched an appeal for those affected by Hurricane Irma. Ben Webster, head of emergencies, said: 

British Red Cross said it is in close contact with Red Cross branches in the British Overseas Territories of Monserrat, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos.

The local volunteers have been working to prepare communities, putting out radio messages and urging people in low-lying areas at risk of flooding to evacuate.

10:59AM

Dutch PM: Island is unreachable after hurricane

Hurricane Irma has caused "huge damage" to Saint-Martin, devastating its airport and port and leaving the Dutch part of the Caribbean island unreachable, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Thursday.

"Alas, the island is not reachable at this point because of the huge damage to the airport and the harbour," Rutte told reporters, though he added there were no reports of deaths on the Dutch side so far.

French authorities say at least nine lives have been lost on the French side.

10:45AM

Irma death toll rises to at least 10

Authorities say at least one person has died in the northeast Caribbean island of Anguilla, raising the death toll of Hurricane Irma to at least 10.

The Caribbean Disaster Management Agency reported the death early on Thursday and said 90 per cent of roads in Anguilla are impassible.

France's Interior Minister, Gerard Collomb, told Franc Info that at least eight people have died and another 23 were injured in the French Caribbean island territories of St-Martin and St-Barthelemy. That number is expected to rise.

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

Authorities are struggling to get aid to small Caribbean islands devastated by the storm's record 185mph winds.

10:42AM

Irma likely to be downgraded when it reaches Florida

Hurricane Irma is likely to be downgraded to a category four storm by the time it makes landfall in Florida, the US National Hurricane Centre has said.

Irma, at present a category five storm with maximum sustained winds of 180mph, is moving off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.

The NHC said it has "become a little less organised over the past few hours, but the threat of direct hurricane impacts in Florida over the weekend and early next week continues to increase."

Hurricane watches were in effect for the northwestern Bahamas and much of Cuba.

The storm is expected to hit Florida sometime on Sunday and Governor Rick Scott plans to activate 7,000 National Guard soldiers by Friday.

He warned that Irma is "bigger, faster and stronger" than Hurricane Andrew, which wiped out entire neighborhoods in south Florida 25 years ago.

Experts worried that Irma could rake the entire Florida east coast from Miami to Jacksonville and then head into Savannah, Georgia, and the Carolinas, striking highly populated and developed areas.

10:28AM

Richard Branson counting the cost of hurricane damage

Sir Richard Branson, who refused to leave his private retreat of Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, was counting the cost of widespread damage after  Irma pounded the archipelago.

Writing on his blog about braving the storm with his staff, he described the atmosphere as "eerie but beautiful" as they waited for Irma to hit.

He revealed that those left on the island would be camping out in the wine cellar of the great house.

"Knowing our wonderful team as I do, I suspect there will be little wine left in the cellar when we all emerge," he said.

His son, Sam, later wrote on Instagram: "Glad to say that all humans on Necker are ok although a lot of buildings destroyed.

"Very concerned for our friends and everyone on the neighbouring islands and people in its path. Please don't take this hurricane lightly if it is heading your way."

10:20AM

Carolinas and Georgia declare hurricane emergencies for first time in decades

Shifting forecasts raised the threat to the south east from Hurricane Irma and prompted emergency declarations in the Carolinas and coastal Georgia, including areas that have not suffered a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency on Wednesday for the state's 100-mile swathe of Atlantic coast, which was last struck by a hurricane of force Category 3 or higher in 1898.

His South Carolina counterpart, Governor Henry McMaster, declared an emergency for that neighboring state as officials assessed the chances of receiving a major hurricane strike there for the first time in nearly 28 years. 

10:12AM

President Macron to visit islands 'as soon as possible'

French President Emmanuel Macron will go to the islands hit by Hurricane Irma as soon as weather conditions permit, it has been announced.

Macron's office said on Thursday that the President will travel to France's Caribbean territories "as soon as possible" once immediate rescue operations are complete.

The president of the territorial council, Daniel Gibbs, said on Radio Caraibes International that Saint-Martin is "95 percent destroyed."

The island is part French, part Dutch. The Dutch government is holding a crisis meeting about the damage to its part. Damages and casualties were also reported on the nearby French island of Saint-Barthelemy.

10:07AM

Aerial pictures show scenes of devastation on Saint-Martin

Aerial images released by Dutch officials show scenes of devastation on the island of Saint-Martin - a former Dutch colony - in the aftermath of Irma.

Video shot from a navy helicopter sent to assess the damage shows seafront hotels - a mainstay of the Caribbean island's economy - with their roofs badly damaged, palm trees stripped of fronds and poolside terraces covered in sand.

The island's airport also was hit hard, with what appeared to be sand washed up to parts of the main terminal and the building's roof extensively damaged. No aircraft were visible on the tarmac.

The airport is famous around the world because its runway ends very close to a beach, where tourists can stand and watch landing aircraft skim low overhead.

Streets were largely deserted and littered with debris. At a port area, shipping containers were strewn like children's building blocks.

Elsewhere, yachts were shown jumbled together in a small harbor, some overturned or dumped, upside down, onto the shore.

9:53AM

'It was so green... now there are now leaves': Damage in US Virgin Islands

On St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, Laura Strickling spent 12 hours hunkered down with her husband and one-year-old daughter in a boarded-up basement apartment with no power as the storm raged outside.

They emerged to find the lush island in tatters. Many of their neighbours' homes were damaged and once-dense vegetation was largely gone.

"There are no leaves. It is crazy. One of the things we loved about St. Thomas is that it was so green. And it's gone," Strickling said. "It will take years for this community to get back on its feet."

9:42AM

'Total carnage' Nearly every building on Barbuda damaged as hundreds homeless

Communications were difficult with areas hit by Irma and information on damage trickled out.

Nearly every building on Barbuda was damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday and about 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said.

"It is just really a horrendous situation," Browne said after returning to Antigua from a plane trip to the neighbouring island.

He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery would take months, if not years.

A two-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Mr Browne revealed.

Mr Browne later told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that at least 90 per cent of Barbuda's buildings appeared to be damaged, with some completely destroyed.

Half of the island's population had been left homeless and schools and the hospital had been damaged.

Describing the scene as "total carnage", he said: "It is easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences I have ever had."

Mr Browne said the recovery effort would take "an enormous amount of financial resources - I'm quite sure it will take months, possibly years, to restore some level of normality".

He said the bill was likely to come to around 100 million US dollars (£77m), which was "definitely beyond our means", meaning the country will have to appeal to the international community for help.

"This is a disaster of unprecedented proportions and I think the international community ought to step in and to assist, and as a member of the Commonwealth we would appreciate any assistance that can be extended by the UK and other Commonwealth countries," he said.

9:24AM

Theresa May: Thoughts with everybody dealing with Irma

Prime Minister Theresa May has sent her thoughts to those dealing with Hurricane Irma: 

8:44AM

Fears second major storm could hamper air efforts

Emergency attempts to reach Caribbean island communities devastated by Hurricane Irma could be affected by a second major storm threatening the region.

Irma, a category five hurricane, is expected to have passed over the Caribbean by Friday, however Hurricane Jose is expected to follow a similar path when it arrives over the weekend.

The category one storm is currently building in intensity in the north Atlantic, around 900 miles east of the Lesser Antilles where the island of Barbuda saw catastrophic damage on Wednesday.

It is feared the storm may strengthen to a potentially devastating category three hurricane, which can bring winds of up to 129mph.

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: "Jose is currently forecast to follow a similar track initially to Irma, moving westwards in the Atlantic and to the north and east of the Caribbean where the hurricane was on Wednesday.

"Jose's a couple of days away and the track may change, but it's forecast to come close to those islands over the weekend."

While the Caribbean faces the possibility of being affected by a second major hurricane, Mexico is braced for the arrival of Hurricane Katia.

The category one hurricane was headed for coast of Veracruz state where it expected to make landfall on Friday evening.

8:13AM

Irma leaves trail of destruction across Caribbean

Hurricane Irma is continuing to tear a deadly path through the Caribbean as the scale of devastation in its wake begins to emerge.

The historic storm destroyed nearly all buildings on the island of Barbuda on Wednesday, killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape, before wreaking havoc on the French territories of St Martin and St Barts, leaving at least eight dead.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the UK is "taking swift action to respond" to the disaster after speaking to the chief minister of Anguilla, a British overseas territory that was among the first islands to be hit.

Britons in the region have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida - amid fears Miami could be struck directly by the hurricane.

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.

Meanwhile, Sir Richard Branson was counting the cost of widespread damage at his private retreat in the British Virgin Islands after the category five hurricane pounded the archipelago.

A massive operation is under way to evacuate people away from coastal areas on Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where aid workers are moving residents into temporary shelters before the storm hits.

On Thursday morning, Irma's eye was just north of the coast of Puerto Rico, lashing the island with heavy rain and high winds and leaving more than 900,000 people without power.

There were fears that the eye could come within 35 miles of the capital San Juan, bringing gusts of up to 100mph.

Irma is moving at around 16mph on a course forecast to take it toward the Bahamas and the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

An alert sent by the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies on Grand Turk urged residents near the coasts to take shelter on higher ground, warning the storm surge could raise water levels by 15 to 20 feet above the normal tide.

Some US government personnel have been ordered to leave the Bahamas before the hurricane's arrival, expected on Thursday night local time.

On the US mainland authorities fear the hurricane may slam into the Florida peninsula over the weekend, just days after storm Harvey devastated Texas.

Officials are making preparations to potentially shut down two nuclear power stations in the Sunshine State, while evacuation orders have been given in the Florida Keys.

Donald Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach could be affected by the storm, said his administration is monitoring Irma closely.

"It looks like it could be something that could be not good, believe me not good," the US president said.

With sustained winds of 185mph, the category five hurricane is the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane on record.

It is only the second time anywhere in the world a storm has been recorded maintaining such windspeeds for more than 24 hours, after typhoon Haiyan in 2013, according to an expert at the University of Colorado.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said that nearly every building on Barbuda was damaged when the hurricane passed overhead, leaving around 60 per cent of the island's approximately 1,400 people homeless.

Barbuda had been left "barely habitable", he said, adding: "Barbuda is literally rubble. The entire housing stock was damaged. It is just a total devastation."

French President Emmanuel Macron said he expects that victims and heavy damage will be discovered on islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, known as St Barts.

Briton Alex Woolfall hid in a concrete stairwell as the hurricane hit while he was on holiday in St Maarten, the Dutch area of the island.

He tweeted: "My god this noise! It's like standing behind a jet engine! Constant booms & bangs. At least concrete stairwell not moving."

Anguilla's tourist board said its major resorts had survived the storm, although many private homes had been damaged. There were no reports of any deaths.

Mr Johnson said in a statement: "I've just spoken to the Chief Minister of Anguilla to discuss the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma. My thoughts are with all those affected and the UK is taking swift action to respond.

"We have staff and a British naval ship ready to help those in need. Brits should follow our travel advice which will be regularly updated."

Before the hurricane's arrival Sir Richard refused to his Necker Island retreat and said he would be seeking shelter in the wine cellar with his staff.

His son, Sam, later wrote on Instagram: "Glad to say that all humans on Necker are ok although a lot of buildings destroyed. Very concerned for our friends and everyone on the neighbouring islands and people in its path. Please don't take this hurricane lightly if it is heading your way."

Christian Aid is helping to orchestrate the mass evacuation of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The charity's country manager, Prospery Raymond, said: "People are being moved to schools and churches for safety but in some areas, especially in the north west of Haiti, these buildings will not withstand the force of the storm."

Anguilla resident Josephine Gumbs-Connor, a barrister, was critical of the UK's response to the hurricane.

Ms Gumbs-Connor told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I anticipated really that, given our relationship with the UK, they would have done in a similar fashion to our French neighbours on St Martin, where the French made sure they had military on the ground so the response given is timely, which makes it effective, which makes it helpful to our people.

"That is sorely lacking in this case. There was no echoing of chainsaws in Anguilla. We have huge trees and some of our oldest trees are still lying across the roads, roads are remaining impassable.

"While we understand that these things take time, I am very disappointed. We are supposed to have a relationship - we are overseas territories, we are supposed to be of the same type of people as Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands."

She said: "I am truly disappointed because we should not be in this position. If we are indeed supposed to be in a partnership, it should work very much more effectively than it is now."