Puerto Ricans told to evacuate or die as Hurricane Maria approaches

• CLICK HERE FOR LATEST HURRICANE MARIA UPDATES

• 'Merciless' 175 mph winds tear through Caribbean islands

• 'Rough! Rough! Rough!' Dominica PM's dramatic Facebook posts

• Communications with Dominica cut off

• Storm set to batter Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands next

• Many islands in path are still recovering from Hurricane Irma

• Experts' view: Why have there been so many hurricanes lately?

• Puerto Ricans told evacuate or die

• In the paths of hurricanes Maria and Irma

Thousands of Puerto Ricans have been told to "evacuate or die" as Category 5 Hurricane Maria bears down on the island.

After wreaking widespread devastation on Dominica and leaving the small Caribbean island virtually incommunicado, Maria is cutting a deadly path west with Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands most at risk.

Next in the storm's path was St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands, where the storm was expected to hit late on Tuesday.

Winds have strengthened to 175 mph.

"You have to evacuate. Otherwise, you're going to die,"  Hector Pesquera, Puerto Rico's public safety commissioner said. "I don't know how to make this any clearer."

His stark warning came as frantic preparations are being made across much of the Caribbean ahead of the arrival of the "potentially catastrophic" Category 5 hurricane.

With winds of 160 mph Maria is threatening to inflict mudslides, flash floods, life-threatening winds and storm surges throughout the region.

Several airlines have offered to cap fares for people fleeing the path of the hurricane.

Watch live: Track path of Hurricane Maria

The storm is following a similar path to Hurricane Irma which ripped across the Caribbean earlier this month, claiming at least 84 deaths and reducing the island of Barbuda to rubble.

Maria is the fourth major hurricane - defined as Category 3 or higher - hit the region this year, making the season the worst in many years.

"Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the National Hurricane Centre said.

With Maria tracking northwest hurricane warnings have been issued for the US and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat. 

A tropical storm warning was in force for Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maarten, St Lucia and Anguilla.

Maria claimed its first victim in the French territory of Guadeloupe, where two other people were missing.

It was Dominica, a mountainous island nation of 72,000, which was the first to take a battering.

"We have lost all what money can buy", Roosevelt Skerrit, the prime minister wrote on Facebook.

The storm later knocked out communications for the entire country, leaving anyone outside Dominica struggling to determine the extent of damage, though it was clearly widespread. "The situation is really grave," Consul General Barbara Dailey said in a telephone interview from New York.

She said she lost contact with the island about 4 a.m. At that point, officials had learned that 70 percent of homes had lost their roofs, including her own.

"I lost everything," she said, adding there had been no word on casualties. 

Further west residents of the British and US Virgin Islands are battening down the hatches ahead of Maria's arrival.

A curfew is in force on the British Virgin Islands, which has a population of just under 31,000.

"Our islands are extremely vulnerable right now," said Orlando Smith, the prime minister.

"While Hurricane Maria may not be as strong as Hurricane Irma, our present reality is also very different.

"Effects such as potential flooding and high winds that can turn debris into dangerous projectiles can have a greater and more treacherous impact for us."

A curfew was in force with Kenneth Mapp, the governor, warning that most of the islanders will be without power for weeks - and in some cases months.

Residents in vulnerable areas of Puerto Rico, which is just over 70 miles west of St Croix, were urged to seek shelter by the governor, Ricardo Rossello.

Shelves have been stripped bare as many of the 3.7 million inhabitants braced for the worst hurricane to hit Puerto Rico since 1932.

In response, the territory's government, where a state of emergency was declared by Donald Trump, has imposed rationing of basic necessities including water and batteries.

The extent of the damage suffered so far to French territories in the Caribbean remains unclear.

Martinique early reports suggest that damage was minimal, nevertheless, 25,000 people have been left without electricity and two towns without drinking water.

A communications blackout with Guadeloupe has made it impossible for the authorities to assess the damage.

Aid continues to be sent to the region. The UK said 1,300 troops were staying put with a 42-strong military resilience team being deployed to the British Virgin Islands.

France is sending 110 more soldiers to bolster 3,000 troops who are already in place, while the Dutch navy tweeted that soldiers were being sent to Saba and St Eustatius to prevent looting.

6:33AM

Latest on Maria's location 

The National Hurricane Centre says the eyewall of Maria is pummeling St Croix now. 

4:06AM

Wind lashes St Croix

4:05AM

Storm thrashing US Virgin Islands

On St John Islandin the US Virgin Islands, locals have reported seeing trees swirling in the wind, with rain pouring "sideways" .

Judi Buckley, former senator for St Croix Island, travelled to St John from her South Carolina home to help with the Irma relief effort - only to get caught up in Maria.

"We have become the Irma relief hub and our brothers and sisters across the pond can't afford for us to be crippled," she said, referring to those on St Croix.

3:43AM

Trump tweets support for Puerto Rico

3:42AM

St Croix set to be battered

2:38AM

St Croix feeling the effects of Maria

Air pressure is plummeting and gusts are rising in the US Virgin Islands.

2:31AM

Governor: Don't sleep

US Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp has asked that people remain alert.

In it latest update, the National Hurricane Centre said Maria was about 50 miles south south east of St Croix, where a wind gust of 72mph was recently recorded. 

1:34AM

Queen keeping BVI in "thoughts and prayers"

The Queen is keeping residents on the British Virgin Islands in her "thoughts and prayers", as Hurricane Maria sweeps towards the overseas territory.

Battered by Hurricane Irma less than two weeks ago, the region is facing a fresh wave of potential devastation as another category five storm barrels through the Caribbean.

Ahead of the latest storm set to close in on the British Virgin Islands (BVI), governor Gus Jaspert revealed in an online post that the Queen had been in contact with him.

"She told me she has been following the situation intently, and everyone in the territory is in her thoughts and prayers," Mr Jaspert wrote.

The British overseas territory was left destroyed when Hurricane Irma ravaged the BVI earlier this month, with a second category five hurricane now poised to do the same on Wednesday.

Speaking to the Press Association, Mr Jasper said:

1:06AM

Maria bearing down on St Croix

12:04AM

'Please don't forget us'  

 Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan on Puerto Rico,  has made a heartfelt appeal to the rest of the United States.

The city is bracing itself to face the full ferocity of Maria when it makes landfall  and the devastation it is likely to bring

"Remember you are part of us," she said. "Don't forget us, don't forget us."

The city has already provided refuge for 720 people who have moved to safety. Eventually, it is expecting around 1,000.

11:36PM

Hurricane moving towards St Croix and Puerto Rico

Maria is already lashing St Croix and Puerto Rico with heavy rain, even though landfall is some hours away.

11:11PM

Do not take Maria lightly warns BVI premier

Orlando Smith has warned residents of the British Virgin Islands not to take the hurricane lightly.

"We must do all we can to protect ourselves," he told islanders in his daily broadcast as he said there was a danger of flooding.

"Our islands are vulnerable right now and I ask each and every one take every opportunity to secure themselves and their loved ones."

He concluded: "May God continue to bless each of  us and may we all remain BVI strong."

10:30PM

Latest update from the National Weather Service

10:08PM

UK working 'flat out' to get aid to the Caribbean - Priti Patel

Priti Patel, the UK's International Development Secretary has promised that Britain will get aid to the stricken islands.

“This is an unprecedented crisis with two hurricanes of such brutal force hitting the Caribbean in less than a fortnight, she said.

“Families have lost their homes, lives have been ripped apart, and the victims of Hurricane Irma are now facing the new threat of Hurricane Maria.

 “But they should know, the UK government is working flat out to put the right supplies in the right places to cope with the fallout from this new hurricane."

9:47PM

Airlines cap fares for people  fleeing Maria 

Several airlines have agreed to cap fares for people fleeing Hurricane Maria following a plea made by Bill Nelson, a Democrat senator from Florida.

American has set a $99 ceiling for economy class fares from a dozen Caribbean islands in the path of the hurricane. The cap for premium cabins will be $199.

United Airlines has agreed to set a $384 plus tax cap for departures out of Puerto Rico.

Delta Air Lines said it is capping main cabin one-way fares at $199 for flights out of San Juan, Puerto Rico and Punta Cana, Santo Domingo and Santiago in the Dominican Republic.

Delta is also waiving luggage fees and charges for bringing a pet into the cabin.

The three airlines are also adding flights to help people off the islands.

9:16PM

Latest projection of Maria's path

Hurricane Maria appears to be on course for the US Virgin Islands and then Puerto Rico according to the latest projections.

8:49PM

Stunning footage of hurricane released by International Space Station

This is what Hurricane Maria looks like from space

5:17PM

Eye of Maria to pass over south-western tip of St. Croix

U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp says that the track of Hurricane Maria has shifted and the eye is now expected to pass over the south-western tip of St. Croix.

That means parts of the island are expected to experience the full force of the storm winds that have now reached 160 mph (260 kph). Conditions are expected to deteriorate tonight with the approach of the "extremely, extremely dangerous hurricane."

The Virgin Islands are already reeling from Hurricane Irma, which passed over the islands of St. Thomas and St. John.

Mapp warned Tuesday that Maria is expected to bring up to 12 inches of rain to St. John

3:45PM

Dutch king vows to stand with hurricane-hit Caribbean islands

The Dutch King, Willem-Alexander, has vowed that his nation will stand with hurricane-hit Caribbean islands to help rebuild, as he officially opened parliament even though no government is yet in place.

"Our thoughts are first and foremost with the people of St Maarten, Saba and St Eustatius, which were hit so hard by the destructive power of hurricane Irma. Our hearts go out to them," the king said at the start of his traditional annual speech in The Hague.

"The government will do all in its power to alleviate the islands' acute distress," he pledged, adding "the Caribbean part of the Kingdom will not stand alone as it faces the task of reconstruction."

Willem-Alexander saw first hand the destruction when he toured the islands to view a military aid operation put in place after the deadly storm Irma hit on September 6.

3:37PM

Thousands without power on island of Martinique

An estimated 25,000 households lost electricity and two small towns are without potable water after Hurricane Maria roared past the French island of Martinique. However, damage was considered minimal.

The head of French civil security, Jacques Witkowski, told reporters in Paris that it was too soon to say if the French department of Guadaloupe was so lucky. Communications there have been difficult.

Eric Maire, the highest French official on Guadaloupe,  said some roads and homes were flooded and heavy rain is expected to continue.

He told island residents to "remain inside" amid the flood threat and warnings by forecasters of possible landslides.

France is upping its manpower in the region, with two flights taking off on Tuesday, the first carrying 160 firefighters and military personnel to Martinique.

3:13PM

Video update from head of UK taskforce in Caribbean

The head of the UK Government's taskforce on hurricanes Irma and Maria has released a video update from the region.

Chris Austin said Britain will be looking to help reinforce the supply of supplies to the affected islands.

2:38PM

British Virgin Islands under curfew as Maria approaches  

Residents of the British Virgin Islands are being urged to stick to the curfew that has been in place since 6pm on Monday.

As the British territory braces for Hurricane Maria, Prime Minister Orlando Smith warned: "While Hurricane Maria may not be as strong as Hurricane Irma, our present reality is also very different.

"Effects such as potential flooding and high winds that can turn debris into dangerous projectiles can have a greater and more treacherous impact for us."

He added: "Our islands are extremely vulnerable right now."

2:20PM

Forecasters 'very concerned' about Maria storm surge

The US National Hurricane Centre has released a video update of Hurricane Maria's path.

Forecasters warn that they are "very concerned about a life threatening storm surge" in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

1:56PM

'We're going to have to rebuild': Puerto Rico braces for hurricane 'with force we haven't seen for several generations'

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said that island has 500 shelters capable of taking in up to 133,000 people in a worst-case scenario.

He also said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was ready to bring drinking water and help restore power immediately after Maria, which could hit as a category five hurricane.

"This is going to impact all of Puerto Rico with a force and violence that we haven't seen for several generations," he said. "We're going to lose a lot of infrastructure in Puerto Rico. We're going to have to rebuild."

1:20PM

Video shows howling winds battering Dominica

After the Prime Minister of Dominica warned of "widespread devastation" on the island, there has been little word on damage or casualties - partly due to communications being brought down, but also as it has been too dangerous for police to check conditions. However, unverified video purporting to show damage to Dominica is starting to emerge on Twitter:

1:05PM

Latest Foreign Office advice as Hurricane Maria bears down on Caribbean

1:02PM

Communications blackout makes estimation of damage difficult

A communications blackout with Guadeloupe means it could be several more hours before damage there could be assessed, a senior French Civil Protection official has said.

Video footage released by the Guadeloupe prefecture showed tree-bending winds whipping through deserted streets and shaking lamp posts when the storm first hit. It urged residents to stay indoors and take shelter in their most secure room.

Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire said up to 400 milimetres of rain were forecast in some parts of the island. A storm suge could also flood low-lying coastal areas.

"We've already got some early information of flooding, flooded houses and submerged roads," Maire said in a video recording posted on the prefecture's Twitter handle.

12:34PM

How much damage can a category five hurricane do?

After being briefly downgraded, Hurricane Maria has again strengthened to category five. This graphic from the Press Association gives a striking - if sobering - visual representation of the damage that can be done.

12:24PM

Foreign ministers push for UN funds to help with Irma relief effort

British, Dutch and French foreign ministers have met the UN in New York to ask for financial help to repair damage from hurricane Irma – and those to follow, reports Senay Boztas in Amsterdam.

The Dutch foreign ministry announced that Bert Koenders said: “In such times, there is no time for bureaucracy… I urge the UN to be generous in assigning money from UN funds and providing expertise to reconstruct St Martin.”

He also asked the UN to create a new envoy for climate and security, to mitigate damage in advance and deal with law and order implications. The UN has pledged €12 million to Caribbean islands so far.

Meanwhile, prime minister of St Martin, William Marlin sparked a row by telling the NRC Handelsblad paper that Dutch security forces dispatched to the independent island "did nothing about looting" – a claim dismissed as "utter nonsense" yesterday by Dutch colonial relations minister Ronald Plasterk.

A spokesman for Plasterk’s department told The Telegraph the Dutch government is considering options for how to pay for the damage, including creating a special fund in the Netherlands to offer loans for reconstruction.

Some estimates have put the cost of damage at €1 billion, although this is currently being assessed, with hurricane Maria on the way and threatening heavy rain on Dutch islands St Martin, Saba and St Eustatius. 

Unlike the French part of St Martin - which is part of the EU - the Dutch side is independent and so not automatically entitled to EU grants.

11:43AM

Government doing everything possible to prepare for Hurricane Maria, says May

Theresa May has said the Government is doing "everything possible" to prepare to help British overseas territories with the "unprecedented" challenge of two category five hurricanes in close succession.

Speaking during her visit to New York, the Prime Minister said that the UK was in a "strong position" to respond quickly when Hurricane Maria hits, as more than 1,300 British troops and Royal Navy assets are already in the region helping with the recovery from Hurricane Irma.

She promised the UK Government's "full support" to territories like the British Virgin Islands, where emergency steps are being taken to prepare for the arrival of Maria, less than a fortnight after the Caribbean island chain was devastated by Irma.

The latest hurricane was also threatening storm surges and torrential rain in another British overseas territory, Montserrat. Mrs May said:

11:08AM

Puerto Rico braces for possible direct hit from Maria

Authorities in the US territory of Puerto Rico have warned that people in wooden or flimsy homes should find safe shelter before the storm's expected arrival there early on Wednesday.

"You have to evacuate. Otherwise, you're going to die," said Hector Pesquera, the island's public safety commissioner. "I don't know how to make this any clearer."

Puerto Rico - which escaped the worst of Irma and has been a hub for relief efforts - is bracing for a possible direct hit from Maria.

10:39AM

Likely path of Hurricane Maria this week

This BBC weather graphic shows the likely path of Hurricane Maria over the next few weeks. It is looking like Puerto Rico - where the governor, Ricardo Rosselló, has warned that Maria will "devastate most of the island” - will suffer a direct hit early on Wednesday.

10:29AM

Hurricane regains strength to maximum intensity

Hurricane Maria has regained category five strength after it had briefly dropped to a category four storm overnight near the island of Dominica.

The US National Hurricane Center in Miami said a hurricane hunter plane found that the storm strengthened anew early on Tuesday and again has top sustained winds of 160mph.

The storm was located early on Tuesday about 65 miles west-southwest of another Caribbean island, Guadeloupe, and about 205 miles south east of St Croix in the US Virgin Islands. It is moving to the west-northwest at 9mph.

10:18AM

Maria brings back memories of Hurricane David for Dominica

We are yet to see pictures of the devastation in Dominica after Hurricane Maria. But this picture posted on Twitter shows what the island looked like after category four-strength Hurricane David unleashed massive destruction in 1979.

 Observers pointed out that building regulations have been significantly improved on the island since the 1970s.

10:13AM

European Union 'stands ready to help'

Christos Stylianides, the European commissioner for humanitarian aid, has tweeted a message of support to those affected by Hurricane Maria:

9:57AM

Watch how Maria tore over Caribbean island of Dominica

Latest radar imaging from the French Met Office shows the path Hurricane Maria has taken overnight - tearing over the former British colony of Dominica before moving just to the south of Gaudeloupe. 

9:45AM

Foreign Office warns against travel to British Virgin Islands

Priti Patel, the UK International Development Secretary,  said the Government is under no illusion about the possible impact of the strengthening hurricane and said it was taking steps to prepare communities.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is advising against all travel to the British Virgin Islands (BVI), warning residents to identify shelter "immediately" and be ready to take cover when the hurricane approaches.

Meanwhile, authorities in the BVI have issued a curfew meaning that "non-essential vehicles" must stay off the roads from 6pm on Tuesday (11pm BST).

9:40AM

Race against time as Maria heads for British Virgin Islands 

Emergency steps are being undertaken on the British Virgin Islands to prepare for the looming onslaught of Hurricane Maria.

Relief workers are racing to secure debris left strewn across the islands that have the potential to make the coming hurricane "more hazardous" if they are picked up by high winds.

Another British overseas territory, Montserrat, has been issued with a hurricane warning amid fears Maria could bring a devastating storm surge, while torrential rain could trigger deadly flash floods.

Following a similar path to Irma, Maria's is expected to reach the British Virgin Islands on Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Brigadier John Ridge, the second in command of the UK's Joint Task Force, said whichever direction the hurricane went, "it is bad".

"They are either going to get the wind, which will pick up all the debris that is lying around," he said.

"And also, irritatingly, where they have made progress in getting covers over the houses and power lines up, it will potentially damage that again.

"Or they get a huge amount of rain, which is also bad because of the blockages in the drainage channels - so the potential for some quite serious flooding as well. Whatever happens, it doesn't look good sadly."

9:31AM

'We are going to have a very, very long night', warns US Virgin Islands Governor

The current predicted track of Hurricane Maria would carry it about 22 miles south of St Croix in the US Virgin Islands late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday.

"We are going to have a very, very long night," territorial Governor Kenneth Mapp said as he urged people in the territory to finish any preparations.

9:22AM

Maria follows hot on the heels of Hurricane Irma

As Hurricane Maria continues to follow a similar path to Irma earlier this month, this gallery is a reminder of the devastation that storm unleashed on the Caribbean: 

8:50AM

Howling winds hit French territory of Guadeloupe

It appears that the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe has been spared the worst of Maria. 

Videos posted on Twitter from those on the Caribbean island show powerful, howling winds battering the tiny island, as the hurricane moves past it to the south.

8:09AM

Maria weakens to category four storm

Forecasters say Hurricane Maria has weakened slightly - down to a category four storm from the maximum category five - but is still "extremely dangerous". 

8:03AM

'Do not go out under any circumstances': Guadeloupe braces for Maria

After making landfall in Dominica, the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe is next in Hurricane Maria's sights.

Residents were ordered not to go outside “under any circumstances” from Monday evening as heavy rain and strong winds battered the island.  

7:56AM

Fears Maria rains will trigger dangerous landslides

Though there were no initial reports of casualties on Dominica, but Mr Skerrit said his fear was that heavy rains will set off dangerous landslides.

The Prime Minister said authorities would set out in the morning, once it was deemed safe to venture out, to search for people who were injured or trapped in rubble.

Before the storm, Dominica residents flocked to supermarkets to stock up on essentials as island officials warned people living in low-lying areas or along rivers to move to high ground. All of the island's shelters were opened.

The airport and ports were closed and the local water company shut down its systems to protect intake valves from debris churned up by the storm.

Islanders still remember the massive destruction and death caused by David, another category five hurricane that struck in 1979.

7:32AM

Dominica PM: 'We have lost all what money can buy and replace'

The residents of tiny Dominica have "lost all what money can buy and replace" after Hurricane Maria pounded the Caribbean island early Tuesday, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said.

"The winds have swept away the roofs of almost every person I have spoken to or otherwise made contact with," Skerrit said in a Facebook post.

He appealed for "help of all kinds" but noted specifically that helicopters will be needed so that authorities can survey the damage.

7:28AM

How many hurricanes hit the Caribbean?

7:01AM

'We need help'

Roosevelt Skerrit, the prime minister of Dominica, has appealed for help on Telesur TV.

6:19AM

Residents in British territories hunker down

Residents living in British overseas territories have begun to hunker down as category five Hurricane Maria barrels into the Caribbean.

Warnings for islands including the British Virgin Islands and Montserrat have been issued, as the weather front becomes the second to batter the region in under two weeks.

Briton Carolyne Coleby, who is a photographer and a sheep farmer on the Caribbean island of Montserrat described the situation as "very serious".

Speaking to the Press Association as Maria began to approach, the 52-year-old said:

Montserrat escaped the clutches of Hurricane Irma relatively unscathed, but Ms Coleby said people have been told to be "much more worried this time".

Ms Coleby said just 5,000 people call Montserrat home, and that she has lived on the island for more than 10 years.

"We have never experienced a hurricane season like this, it is just crazy, it is obviously climate change."

6:09AM

'Everything collapsed'

Anthony Astapha, a lawyer based in Dominica, has told Antigua’s Observer Media Group that the wind was “savage”.

5:35AM

US Virgin Islands braces for impact

US Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp says Maria is due to pass late Tuesday night or early Wednesday within 10 miles of the island of St. Croix, which escaped the brunt of Irma's Category 5 clout.

Mapp warned that hurricane-force winds were expected to howl across St. Croix for eight hours, accompanied by up to a foot and a half (46 cm) of rain that would be followed by nearly a week of additional showers.

At an evening news conference, he predicted most islanders would be without electricity for weeks, and that "some folks will not get power in months." A curfew will be imposed starting at 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday, he said.

Mapp asked the public for prayers and urged St. Croix residents take cover in one of three emergency shelters on the island. For those choosing to stay in their homes during the storm, he said, they might consider climbing into a second-floor bathtub and pulling a mattress over them to stay safe in the event they lose their roofs.

Forecasts predict Maria will be the worst storm to hit St. Croix since Hugo, a Category 4 storm, in 1989.

5:15AM

'The dreaded pinhole eye'

The U.S. National Hurricane Centre says the storm will likely intensify over the next 24 hours or longer, noting its eye had shrunk to a compact 10 miles across and warning: "Maria is developing the dreaded pinhole eye."

That generally means an extremely strong hurricane will get even mightier, said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami. He said it just like when a spinning ice skater brings in their arms and rotates faster.

"You just don't see those in weaker hurricanes," he said.

4:43AM

Too early to assess casualties

A police official, Inspector Pellam Jno Baptiste, says there are no immediate reports of casualties but it is still too dangerous for officers to do a full assessment as the storm rages.

"Where we are, we can't move," he said in a brief phone interview, AP reports.

Dominica authorities have closed schools and government offices and urged people to move from dangerous areas to shelters.

4:37AM

'Dominica has been devastated'

The Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit has told teleSUR the island has been "devastated" by Hurricane Maria. 

4:27AM

Hospital roof 'blown off'

4:18AM

Latest update on hurricane

The eye of Category 5 hurricane Maria is moving over the Caribbean island of Dominica and is expected to approach the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by Tuesday night and Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Monday.

"Maria is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 miles per hour (15 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue through Wednesday," the Miami-based weather forecaster said. 

4:05AM

'My roof is gone!'

Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he has been rescued after his roof was blown off.

In a series of Facebook posts, he described the sound of galvanized steel roofs tearing off houses on the small rugged island.

2:40AM

Hurricane Maria makes landfall on Dominica

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says the eye wall of Category 5 Maria is moving onshore over Dominica.

2:06AM

Sir Richard Branson: from Irma to Maria

The British billionaire businessman, whose Necker Island home was destroyed by Irma has written a blog about the dangers now posed by Maria. he states:

Read Sir Richard's blog here.

1:20AM

Hurricane Maria strengthens to Category Five

Hurricane Maria has strengthened into a Category 5 storm with top winds of 160 mph. 

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised against travelling to Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and Montserrat - with hurricane warnings in place for the latter two.

12:51AM

US senator urges airlines to cap fares for people fleeing storm

Ten leading US airlines have been urged to cap airline fares for people fleeing Hurricane Maria, David Millward reports.

Bill Nelson, a Democrat senator from Florida, has written to the airlines' chief executives, asking them to prevent fares spiralling as the hurricane approaches.

Fares soared in the days leading up to Hurricane Irma as it bore down on the Caribbean, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Flights, which would normally have cost only a few hundred dollars, went on sale for several thousand dollars as aircraft filled up.

Airlines were accused of price gouging, with several members of Congress calling on Elaine Chao, the US transportation secretary, to hold an investigation.

Read the full story.