Most powerful hurricane ever recorded over Atlantic Ocean batters Barbuda, St Martin and Puerto Rico as it moves west with category 5 winds and rains
We’re closing this live blog now. You can follow the latest developments on Hurricane Irma here.
Related: Hurricane Irma: massive damage across Caribbean as death toll rises to 10 – live
Florida’s governor Rick Scott has urged coastal residents to heed evacuation orders.
If you have been ordered to evacuate, do so now. Don’t wait. https://t.co/WUFNlOGrMF
I’m urging families to stay vigilant and monitor local weather and news.
Go to https://t.co/y3SSeqLXKW to learn where shelters are in your area.
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”.
Hurricane Irma is raging but we have great teams of talented and brave people already in place and ready to help. Be careful, be safe! #FEMA
The Dutch military has posted images of some of the marines being deployed to St Maarten.
Bij versterkende eenheden naar St.Maarten ook ca. 100 snel inzetbare mariniers voor directe noodhulp. Samen met specialisten vd @landmachtpic.twitter.com/pNWiDqmVPS
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.
.@AlanDuncanMP made an urgent statement to the House on the UK government's response to Hurricane Irma.
https://t.co/weqpvgVK5Ipic.twitter.com/AnJCmyH0V0
Related: UK could send further ship to overseas territories hit by Hurricane Irma
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.
Se mantienen (17) Provincias en Alerta Roja, (12) Alerta Amarilla y (3) Provincias en Alerta Verde. #AlertaCOE#HuracanIrmapic.twitter.com/Fe4qh3bK6a
More than two thirds of homes in Puerto Rico are still without electricity, and 17% are without water, officials have revealed.
.@ricardorossello confirma que el 68% de clientes de la @AEEONLINE están sin servicio.
El Gobernador informa que el 17% de la población no tiene servicio de agua producto de la falta de energía eléctrica. #IrmaPR
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.
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.
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 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.
Foreign office minister Alan Duncan is updating MPs on the UK government’s response to Irma.
LIVE: @AlanDuncanMP statement to the House of Commons on Hurricane Irma response.
https://t.co/BWFs9YortZpic.twitter.com/NUtWQovhG6
Related: Irma's destruction: island by island
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
L'ouragan #Irma a dévasté Saint-Martin. L'île est détruite à 95%. Les dégâts sont innombrables. Il y a au moins 8 morts. (© @telematin) pic.twitter.com/7Xb95TxZ5U
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.
British Red Cross has launched an appeal for those affected by Hurricane Irma.
“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.”
#HurricaneIrma is leaving behind a trail of devastation.
Donate NOW to help those affected: https://t.co/wuouRRnR9gpic.twitter.com/Lhj3LmszLP
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.
All my Delta 737 vs Hurricane #Irma tweets in one handy Moment. That was incredible. https://t.co/Dhzx4A8sxW
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.
There will be one Government oral statement in the @HouseofCommons today:
Sir Alan Duncan - Hurricane Irma
Real concern that UK Gov is not doing enough to protect British Overseas Territories Citizens #Irma2017https://t.co/PMsEG3Oq8M
PM: Thoughts with everybody dealing with terrible impact of Irma.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Related: Irma's destruction: island by island
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.
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.
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.
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.
Related: UK government accused of 'pathetic' lack of help for Anguillans hit by Irma
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:
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.
The devastation is not like we’ve ever seen before – we’re talking about the whole country … of Barbuda being significantly destroyed.
I have sick people to evacuate, I have a population to evacuate because I don’t know where I can shelter them.
Images from Irma’s path show battered buildings, flooded streets and flattened landscapes:
Related: Hurricane Irma hits the Caribbean – in pictures
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:
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.
60 per cent of our island’s water supply has been restored & it is expected that the remainder will be reconnected shortly #irmahurricane
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.
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:
Bands of showers associated with Hurricane Irma will continue to affect PR and the USVI with wind gusts up to 40 to 50 mph. #prwx#usviwxpic.twitter.com/xLEio7sRsO
Images are coming in from Puerto Rico, the most recent island struck by Irma, where high winds and flash flooding are causing significant damage:
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”.
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.
Nearly every building was damaged when the hurricane passed almost directly over the island of Barbuda, leaving 60% of the island’s population homeless:
This is not what the Caribbean needs: Hurricane Jose on the heels of Irma.
Hurricane #Jose has rapidly intensified and could near the northeastern Leewards this weekend (we hope not!): https://t.co/qUBDDDAyqUpic.twitter.com/W3Kjrnspnb
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.
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.
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.
Hurricane Irma continues to break sobering records: this time for the duration of its (already record-breaking) 185mph winds:
#Irma has now had winds of 185 mph for 33 hrs - no other TC around the globe has been this strong for so long in satellite era (since 1966). pic.twitter.com/RKorceW6nS
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.
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.
The US National Hurricane Center has issued its latest Irma update. The key points are:
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.
With the wind and the rains also comes lightning:
#GOES16 Geostationary Lightning Mapper is detecting copious amounts of lightning in #Irma's eye, evidence of a strong hurricane. pic.twitter.com/pwGfYHebTF
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.
Related: Twin megastorms have scientists fearing this may be the new normal
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.
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.
It’s too soon for casualty figures … I can already tell you the toll will be harsh and cruel.
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:
Aerial footage from Antigua’s ABS TV show flattened landscapes across the island, with few buildings left standing, and vegetation wiped away:
This gif– courtesy of Brian McNoldy, at the University of Miami Rosenstiel school– shows Irma as it tore its way towards Puerto Rico.
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.
All hospitals in Keys will close by 7 am Friday for #HurricaneIrma . Trauma Star air ambulance ceasing operations on Friday at 7 am. pic.twitter.com/nvszQp4xSu
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.
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:
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.
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.
Thank you @SecPriceMD your support is essential to our quick recovery. Once the storm passes, we are ready to initiate the recovery.
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.
Here are the latest Key Messages for #Irma advisory 31 https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFbpic.twitter.com/ITcfpoJnvJ
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).
Irma approaches Puerto Rico. Cat 5 storm will be 35 miles from San Juan at around 7 pm EST. Nearly 650K w/out power; 47K w/out water pic.twitter.com/hDWCKo3kQi
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.
the worst of #Irma will stay north of Puerto Rico, but Turks & Caicos and Bahamas are next targets. @wusa9@TenaciousTopper@MelissaNordWxpic.twitter.com/On9pgHoVEV
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 eye of Hurricane Irma is not far from San Juan, though some reports suggest it will miss the capital of Puerto Rico.
The eye of still Cat 5 Hurricane #Irma now only 55 mi east-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. A rare, impressive, and dangerous sight. pic.twitter.com/6LsAWut7Xw
Mercifully #Irma eye of Cat 5 winds will miss #SanJuan& #PuertoRico. Cat 1-2 damage expected pic.twitter.com/oaEPpHyYXl
Stunning photo from a US Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters plane shows the sun over the "stadium effect" created by Hurricane #Irma's eye. pic.twitter.com/7ys7bT06of
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.
Winds on Barbuda were so strong this morning the anemometer, the instrument measuring them, broke: https://t.co/cNHVhF4vNFpic.twitter.com/zCyC9O0p6Q
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.”
This incredible video shows conditions on the island of St. Martin during Hurricane #Irma this morning. pic.twitter.com/6YeWdd6ieF
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.
JUST IN: Hurricane #Jose forms behind Hurricane #Irma in the mid-Atlantic, NHC says. pic.twitter.com/4s2qFJlhTX
Wow! #Hurricane#Irma, #Jose and #Katia all at the same time! @ABC7News#weatherpic.twitter.com/kYtvJNIQzy
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.
Official: Parts of #PuertoRico could lose power for months #HurricaneIrma#Irmahttps://t.co/sMLH6hGtyz
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.
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.
#HurricaneIrma there's still no update on Barbuda
“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.”
Update: Barbuda police station roof is gone, officers are sheltering at fire station, church and community centre.
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.
Now: "Get out of here"- Keys under mandatory evacuation. @nbc6#Irmapic.twitter.com/aZFMI8sHer
Wow.
WOW EXTREMELY intense #HurricaneIrma catastrophically hitting BVI and Carribean I. RT: #Irma#severeweatherpic.twitter.com/xutkTiO2ai
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.
The storm was already the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic.
#Irma has now maintained 185 mph winds for 24 hours - no Atlantic or eastern Pacific #hurricane has ever stayed this strong for so long. pic.twitter.com/8XyNsFkrpU
Donald Trump is making his rounds on the phone with leaders of states and territories likely to be affected by Irma’s landfall.
Just spoke w/ Governors Rick Scott of Florida, Kenneth Mapp of the U.S. Virgin Islands & Ricardo Rosselló of Puerto Rico. WE ARE W/ YOU ALL! pic.twitter.com/k92cslgKFa
Just got off the phone w/ @POTUS@realdonaldtrump On behalf of all citizens of #PuertoRico thanks for your support. We will come out strong! pic.twitter.com/BXxdrhZne2
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.
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.”
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.”
Related: Irma plows northward leaving trail of storm damage in Caribbean
Some “key messages” on Irma from the National Hurricane Center.
11 AM AST key messages for #Irma. Latest information at https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFbpic.twitter.com/K7o3TIOmVJ
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.
If you go to a shelter for #Irma and you have a warrant, we'll gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail https://t.co/Qj5GX9XQBi
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.”
Florida continues to see long lines, fuel and supply shortages and empty shelves as people stock up for landfall.
Line of cars literally following gas tanker in to gas station, line now stretches down the block. Broward Fla pic.twitter.com/EvjWSJSTNM
Hurricane Irma prep isn't a joke right now. Empty water shelves at my local Walmart. Cc: @orlandosentinel@kylegravlinpic.twitter.com/KlIcg2gHLR
An incredible amount of wind with the worst several hours yet to come.
#hurricaneirma arriving in San Juan @ABCWorldNews@ABCpic.twitter.com/wR152jMeuP
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.”
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.
Shame on you @delta. Jacking from $547 to over $3200 for people trying to evacute responsibly? #IrmaHurricanepic.twitter.com/O2nfPHQUAh
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.
Three storms in this screenshot. I don't ever remember seeing something like this. Stay safe, south. #Irma#Jose#Katiapic.twitter.com/6tKByeC0fQ
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.
Irma's center moving into NWS San Juan forecast area. El centro de Irma adentrándose al área de pronóstico del NWS San Juan. #prwx#usviwxpic.twitter.com/ICdla7Aiwo
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.
NFL: Due to Hurricane Irma, the #Dolphins-#Bucs, will instead be played there in Week 11 on Sunday, November 19.
Dear @NFL@NFLPA the players are not interested in playing 16 straight weeks #PLAYERSAFETY THIS IS CRAZY
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.
Here is a report from #ABS on the impact of #H_Irmapic.twitter.com/kAsjnJchlC
Here’s a graphic showing the expected path of Irma and the probability of tropical storm level winds hitting the areas marked.
More frightening webcam footage from St Martin as Irma struck the island ...
Phenomenal footage from St. Martin https://t.co/scesfLZ3hR
The Miami Herald reports long queues of cars outside Florida petrol stations that haven’t already run out of fuel.
Looking for water or gas? Here are some places that have them. https://t.co/g6GRo49JOqpic.twitter.com/xqLFMvRfaV
Liam Dutton, Channel 4 News’ weather forecaster, gives a UK perspective on the size of Irma.
Hurricane #Irma is so big that it would cover the UK and Ireland. It's currently heading through the Caribbean towards Florida this weekend. pic.twitter.com/xplB5REiUM
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.
Image d'un hôtel à #StMartin après le passage #IRMA#ouraganIRMA via @guadeloupe_1erepic.twitter.com/im6ORYro8m
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.
IRMA s'abat sur les îles du nord. 1er Point de situation à ST-MARTIN et ST-BARTHELEMY, ce mercredi 6 septembre pic.twitter.com/RQHjLLakyU
Irma - des images de Saint Barth @ParisMatchpic.twitter.com/KhbYgMr6ha
Damage in St. Martin from #HurricaneIrmapic.twitter.com/QHhnWOsKjv
Video has emerged to purporting to show flooding in Philipsburg on the southern coast of St Maarten - the Dutch half of St Martin.
Saint-Martin se trouve dans l’œil de l'ouragan #Irma. Vidéo à Philipsburg témoignant de submersions majeures. (https://t.co/WSEgG8UiNG) pic.twitter.com/LUnmeeOYJH
[IRMA] Saint Martin dans le mur de l'oeil subit les effets de l'ouragan IRMA #iram#ouragan#SaintMartin (Source : Rinsy Xieng) pic.twitter.com/e2j7e9KtOu
A red hurricane alert has been lifted in Guadeloupe, but the authorities are still warning of heavy rain and storms and a “dangerous sea”.
Passage en vigilance orange Fortes pluies et orages et mer dangereuse à la côte ce mercredi 6 sept. en #Guadeloupe
https://t.co/MDactLrkJ7pic.twitter.com/TUBWQcjfbG
#HurricaineIrma has now passed St. Kitts and Nevis. We have been spared the worse...we thank God
Irma has made landfall on the French-governed islands of St Martin and St Barthélemy, according to the French met office.
⚠St-Martin et St-Barthélémy sont actuellement au cœur de l'ouragan #Irma, avec le passage de l’œil du #cyclone▶ https://t.co/2qQnReB4b8pic.twitter.com/J7sRRyELb4
HURACAN IRMA A 55 KM AL E/SE DE ST. MARTIN. VIENTOS MAXIMOS SOSTENIDOS 295 KM/H MOVIMIENDOSE O/ NE A 26 KM/H. pic.twitter.com/HvIFiXt7tc
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!”
Watching Hurricane closely. My team, which has done, and is doing, such a good job in Texas, is already in Florida. No rest for the weary!
Hurricane looks like largest ever recorded in the Atlantic!
PTZtv, a livestreaming video company based in Florida, has obtained webcam footage purporting to show St Maarten as Irma hit.
Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, tweeted that the islands have been spared the worst.
06/09/2017, 5:42:18 AM: Gaston Browne: Colleagues, the Lord has protected us and we have been spared the worst of Irma.
Florida Senator Maro Rubio, reminds people in the south of the state to prepare or evacuate by Friday night.
For all of S.Fla, all preparations & evacuations should be COMPLETED by sunset on Friday. That is 60 hours from now. #Sayfie#HurricaneIrmapic.twitter.com/CBDDuWSrDq
Ricardo Rosselló, governor of Puerto Rico, says the island has been preparing for a week for what is set to its worst ever hurricane.
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.
Evacuated & everyone now hiding in concrete stairwell of building. Noise of wind insane. Pray this will end soon! #IrmaHurricane#Irma2017
Okay I am now pretty terrified so can every non-believer, atheist & heretic please pray for me in #StMaarten as #Irma2017 is here now.
May be my last tweet as power out and noise now apocalyptic. This is like a movie I never want to see. #Irma2017#StMaarten
Worryingly the weather station on St Barthélemy, where Irma is forecast to hit next, is reported to be down.
La station météo de #SaintBarth semble hors service, aucune donnée reçue pour les observations de 9h UTC. #Irma
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.
#BREAKING: TROPICAL STORM KATIA FORMS IN THE BAY OF CAMPECHE pic.twitter.com/gbNAPpqM1r
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.
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.
5 AM AST forecast and key messages for Hurricane #Irma. Go to https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb for the latest forecast. pic.twitter.com/N7gnRJ5B8N
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.
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.
Tropical Storm #Jose Advisory 4: Jose Expected to Become a Hurricane By Tonight. https://t.co/VqHn0uj6EM
12AM: Tropical Storm Jose Continues to Strengthen in the Central Atlantic. Likely to Become A Hurricane Wed. Night. https://t.co/Slbp8bKQtBpic.twitter.com/YwWONT5uNO
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.
There's also a webcam streaming from St. Barts, although I'm not sure how long it'll be up. https://t.co/xcZYBxf6cg
A PWS at Devet, St Barthelemy (17.901N 62.806W) is reporting:
Sustained winds: 78.2 KM/H
Gusts: 122.9 KM/H
Pressure: 977.54 MB#Irmapic.twitter.com/FFDWqo5AEZ
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.
Alerte rouge en #Guadeloupe. Ttes les consignes de sécurité et les bulletins météo de vigilance en direct sur : https://t.co/ang4WRVLdipic.twitter.com/XsGhjGpRmq
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”.
We're fine. Still have elec and water. Data is down. If we lose elec, no communication. #HurricaneIrma#stkitts
One of the bigger bands to come ashore so far. A very small taste of what's to come. #HurricaneIrma#stkitts#LeewardIslandspic.twitter.com/jhmQcDtQSk
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”.
#HurricaneIrma: WFP is moving a part of its contingency stock toward the North of Haiti to be ready to distribute food immediately if needed pic.twitter.com/efB7R6eRYl
Tracking #Irma closely. Category 5 storm in Caribbean. National authorities’ preparedness in full swing, with UN country team support #ROLAC
These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.
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.
How much damage do Category 5 winds do compared to Category 1 winds? There's a visualization for that (and it's not pretty) pic.twitter.com/GaO3jbp2QE
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).
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.
2:30AM: #HurricaneIrma's southeastern eyewall moving northwestward, away from #Barbuda. Dangerous hurricane force winds still occurring. pic.twitter.com/kp7aopygCM
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.”
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:
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:
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.
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.
Some of the biggest gusts from the west in the last few minutes. Crashing into the windows, making us both jump! #HurricaneIrma#Antigua
#HurricaneIrma at the time being, I can say that my conditions are well, slight rain, but the gust and winds are pretty much getting worse
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.
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 plucky Barbuda weather station looks finally to have been beaten by #HurricaineIrma: now showing wind speeds of zero pic.twitter.com/eqn9O8LmCk
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.
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.
1:00AM: Northeastern Barbuda is in Irma's eye. Do NOT venture outside during this calm. Remain hunkered down! pic.twitter.com/7q0zDIOoAX
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.
12:45AM: Eastern Barbuda is entering Irma's eye. Do NOT venture outside during this calm. Remain hunkered down! pic.twitter.com/tq7uSnOBB0
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.)
Barbuda is the island immediately to the west of the hurricane’s eye; Irma is moving westwards.
#Barbuda in the eyewall now pressure dropping 1mb a minute. With 128 mph wind gusts. #Irmapic.twitter.com/giqLJMfYON
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.
#Barbuda squarely in #Hurricane#IRMA's eyewall at 1:15 am local time. Highest gust so far 83 knots. That'll skyrocket now. pic.twitter.com/A814S72BaK
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.)
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.
How much damage do Category 5 winds do compared to Category 1 winds? There's a visualization for that (and it's not pretty) pic.twitter.com/GaO3jbp2QE
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.
Barbuda, Antigua .... hang tight #Irmapic.twitter.com/GF5U414hgw
Ominous radar loop courtesy of @BMcNoldy showing the eye of #Irma getting perilously close to #Barbuda - that eye is just so well-defined pic.twitter.com/14QWnGLlno
Codrington about to experience a direct hit from #HurricaneIrma. Sint Maarten and Anguilla is next. Devastation is inevitable. #Irmapic.twitter.com/QBoo1Rknic
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 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.
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.
#HurricaneIrma's eyewall structure(s) edging, more like buzz sawing (using @mattlanza's term), into Barbuda now. Best of luck. #tropicspic.twitter.com/SMlTpwcmjC
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 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.
Hurricane #Irma is maintaining it's strength with maximum sustained winds of 185 MPH. The eye is approaching the island of Barbuda. #GOES16pic.twitter.com/85fHMLVr5H
Continue reading...