Update - 11.18am: The plane flying Pope Francis to Colombia was forced to change its flight path to avoid Hurricane Irma.

The special Alitalia jetliner, which departed late this morning from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport, had been originally scheduled to fly over Puerto Rico and Venezuela before entering Colombia airspace.

Instead, the revised route takes it south of the US territory and includes flying over Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Vatican traditionally issues telegrams of papal greetings to nations he flies over while on pilgrimages, so the updated flight plan meant the Vatican had to draft new telegrams.

Heavy rain and howling wind raked the island of Antigua as Irma arrived, sending debris flying as people huddled in their homes and government shelters.

The National Hurricane Centre's forecast was for the winds to fluctuate slightly but for the storm to remain at Category 4 or 5 strength for the next day or two.

The most dangerous winds, usually nearest to the eye, were forecast to pass near the northern Virgin Islands and near or just north of Puerto Rico.

The northern Leeward Islands were expected to see waves as high as 11ft, while the Turks and Caicos Islands and south-eastern Bahamas could see towering 20ft waves later in the week, forecasters said.

Earlier: Caribbean islanders are riding out the storm as Category 5 Hurricane Irma rakes the region with heavy rain and howling 185mph wind.

The eye of Irma passed over Barbuda in the early hours, and residents said over local radio that phone lines had gone down.

The storm ripped the roof off the island's police station, forcing officers to seek refuge in the nearby fire station and at the community centre that served as an official shelter.

Irma also knocked out communication between islands.

Midcie Francis of the National Office of Disaster Services confirmed there was damage to several homes, but said it was too early to assess the extent.

On the the neighbouring island of Antigua, debris was flying as people huddled in their homes and government shelters.

"I hear it's a Cat 5 now and I'm terrified," Antigua resident Carol Joseph said as she finished her last trip to the supermarket before seeking shelter. "I had to come back for more batteries because I don't know how long the current will be off."

On the 108-square-mile island, 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.

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

Other islands in the path of the storm include the Virgin Islands and Anguilla, a small, low-lying territory of about 15,000 people.

US President Donald Trump declared emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and authorities in the Bahamas said they would evacuate six southern islands.

The northern Leeward Islands were expected to see waves as high as 11ft, while the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas could see towering 20ft waves later in the week, forecasters said.

"This is not an opportunity to go outside and try to have fun with a hurricane," US Virgin Islands governor Kenneth Mapp warned. "It's not time to get on a surfboard."

Bahamas prime minister Hubert Minnis said his government was evacuating the six islands in the south because authorities would not be able to help anyone caught in the "potentially catastrophic" wind, flooding and storm surge.

People there were being flown to Nassau in what he called the largest storm evacuation in the country's history.

"The price you may pay for not evacuating is your life or serious physical harm," Mr Minnis said.

Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rossello said: "The dangerousness of this event is like nothing we've ever seen. A lot of infrastructure won't be able to withstand this kind of force."

The director of the island's power company has warned that storm damage could leave some areas without electricity for up to four to six months. The utility's infrastructure has deteriorated greatly during a decade-long recession, and Puerto Ricans had an island-wide outage last year.

Government officials began evacuations and urged people to finalise all preparations as store shelves emptied around Puerto Rico.

"The decisions that we make in the next couple of hours can make the difference between life and death," Mr Rossello said. "This is an extremely dangerous storm."

In Florida, people also stocked up on drinking water and other supplies.

Governor Rick Scott activated 100 members of the Florida National Guard to be deployed across the state, and 7,000 more National Guard members were to report for duty on Friday when the storm could be approaching.

On Monday, Mr Scott declared a state of emergency in all of Florida's 67 counties.

Officials in the Florida Keys geared up to get tourists and residents out of Irma's path, and the mayor of Miami-Dade county said people should be prepared to evacuate Miami Beach and most of the county's coastal areas.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the voluntary evacuations could begin as soon as Wednesday evening. He activated the emergency operation centre and urged residents to have three days of food and water.</s>A hurricane watch and a storm surge watch are up for Florida, from the Florida Keys to Jupiter Inlet, as Category 5 Hurricane Irma heads steadily west-northwest at 16 mph. Hurricane Irma delivered a devastating blow to the Lesser Antilles islands of Barbuda, Saint Barthelemy, Anguilla, and Saint Martin/Sint Maarten early Wednesday morning, then plowed directly though the British Virgin Islands on Wednesday afternoon, packing top winds of 185 mph during the entire rampage. Ten deaths are being blamed on the storm—six on St. Martin, two on Saint Barthelemy, one on Barbuda, and one on Anguilla. Damage photos from the islands show destruction characteristic of an EF4 tornado, and Irma’s 185 mph winds were indeed in the EF4 range of tornado wind speeds. The first island Irma hit, Barbuda (population 2,000) was judged “practically uninhabitable” by the prime minister after 90% of the buildings were damaged and 60% of the population was left homeless.

Irma has been weakening slightly today. Peak winds fell from 185 mph at 1 am EDT Thursday to 180 mph at 2 am, then to 175 mph at 11 am—still solidly in the Category 5 range. The minimum pressure rose from 914 mb at midnight to 921 mb at 11 am. The most recent 11:56 am EDT eye report from the Hurricane Hunters found another bump up in pressure, to 923 mb. Infrared satellite loops show that the heavy thunderstorms that surround Irma’s eye are no longer as symmetrical or intense. This is particularly true on the storm’s west side, where some moderate wind shear near 10 knots is affecting the storm. Irma’s weakening is also likely due to an eyewall replacement cycle and interaction with the large island of Hispaniola, to the south of Irma. Total precipitable water loops from Thursday, for example, showed that Hispaniola was blocking the inflow of moisture from the south, reducing the amount of moisture in Irma’s core. Irma's circulation is also pulling air across and then down the high mountains of the island into the core of the hurricane; the downslope winds dry as they descend, injecting more dry air into Irma.

Despite this weakening, even 175 mph winds are catastrophic, and Irma will cause extreme damage in the Turks and Caicos Islands when it moves through on Thursday afternoon, and in the southeast Bahamas on Thursday night and Friday. Parts of central and eastern Cuba and northern Hispaniola may receive localized rainfall of up to 15 inches as Irma passes by. Storm surge levels could reach as high as 20 feet in the Southeastern and Central Bahamas, and as high as 10 feet on parts of Cuba's northern coast.

Irma maintained 185 mph maximum winds for an extraordinary 37 hours, the longest for any tropical cyclone on record, globally, in the satellite era (since 1966.) The previous record was Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Northwest Pacific, at 24 hours, according to Dr. Phil Klotzbach.

Irma is virtually certain to curve rightward this weekend and affect Florida and the southeast U.S. coast in some form or fashion, but there remains a nagging amount of uncertainty in the east-west location of Irma’s expected south-to-north track. This hinges on exactly where and when Irma will be turned northward by a trough now moving across the eastern U.S.. Where and when this turn occurs will be crucial for wind and surge effects in Southeast Florida. One consideration that is hard for computer models to incorporate is the indirect effects of the upper-level outflow associated with Hurricane Katia in the Bay of Campeche (see below). According to Brian Tang (University at Albany, SUNY). "Katia's showers and thunderstorms and the resulting upper-level outflow will likely affect the evolution of the southward end of the trough that will eventually turn Irma to the north."

The Wednesday night runs of our best track models—GFS, European, UKMET, and HWRF—covered a gamut of possibilities, from a SW Florida landfall (UKMET) to a coast-hugging Florida track starting near Miami (Euro) to a track just off Florida’s east coast (GFS). Over the long haul, the European tends to be the best performer of these three models, and it has done the best with Irma thus far, according to analyses from Brian Tang (University of Albany, SUNY). Keep in mind, though, that any of the three models can be the best for a given storm at any point in time (just as any high-quality football team might win on any given Sunday).

There was a westward shift in the model guidance at 12Z Thursday. The HWRF model now brings Irma over the highly populous corridor from Miami to Palm Beach, with the GFS only about 20-30 miles offshore, while the latest run of the Euro now brings Irma northward along the center of the Florida peninsula.

The most reliable track guidance of all is from NHC’s consensus models, which blends the various tracks in different ways to come up with a best-estimate outlook. These consensus models have been performing very well for Irma, and they have been very consistent in bringing Irma along Florida’s southeast coast (see Figure 2). NHC forecast tracks are typically close to the model consensus tracks. Remember that, on average, there is significant track error in forecasts beyond 3 days. As of 12Z Thursday, the NHC’s 5-day “cone of uncertainty” now encompasses the entire coastline of the Florida peninsula, extending north to southern North Carolina and well inland. If you are within the cone, you are at risk of impacts from Irma and need to prepare accordingly.

Figures 3 and 4 show guidance from the GFS and European ensemble runs from Wednesday night. In these ensembles, multiple parallel runs of the same model are carried out with slight variations in the starting-point data to simulate uncertainty.

It may take several more model cycles to increase the certainty in Irma’s track relative to the Florida coast, especially because it hinges on the timing and location of a right-hand turn that will not happen until Saturday. In the meantime, here are some things we do know:

—Irma is likely to be at least a Category 4 when it nears Southeast Florida on Sunday. There is nothing in the atmosphere on the large scale that would be expected to produce significant weakening before at least Saturday. As Irma moves just north of Hispaniola on Thursday, and offshore or just over the north coast of Cuba on Friday into Saturday, the interaction with land may disrupt Irma somewhat, as noted above. On the other hand, water temperatures will remain steady or slightly increase along Irma’s path, which is favorable for maintaining Irma’s strength. Irma may experience moderate wind shear by Sunday (around 15 knots), but it is safest to assume that Irma will maintain at least Category 4 intensity on its final approach to Florida, as reflected in NHC’s 11 am Thursday forecast. More significant weakening is expected from Sunday into Monday, because of increasing wind shear and land interaction. Irma is still predicted to approach the Southeast coast of GA/SC as a Category 3 hurricane.

—Regardless of its strength at final landfall, Irma has the potential to generate a catastrophic storm surge across the Southeast coast from northern Florida to South Carolina. Under almost all track scenarios for Irma, the vast amount of water being pushed northwest by the storm is expected to slam into the Southeast coast and produce a devastating storm surge. Even if Irma’s winds decrease as expected by Monday, this water will already be in motion, packed with tremendous momentum. From our Wednesday PM post on the storm surge potential: “Even areas up to a hundred miles to the north of where the center makes landfall could potentially see record storm surges. The area of most concern is the northern coast of Florida, the coast of Georgia, and the southern coast of South Carolina, due to the concave shape of the coast, which will act to funnel and concentrate the storm surge to ridiculous heights.” See our Wednesday post for more details.

Within the storm surge warning area along the Southeast Florida coast, water levels above ground (inundation) could reach 5 to 10 feet, according to official NHC storm surge guidance as of 11 am EDT Thursday. Storm surge expert Dr. Hal Needham has launched a storm surge website for Miami with details on the city's surge history and surge potential.

—Large parts of the Florida peninsula would experience damaging winds on any of the most likely tracks for Irma. Irma’s hurricane-force winds now extend up to 50 miles from its center, and that radius will increase over time. Even after Irma’s top winds weaken, the wind field will gradually expand over time. Tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 160 miles from Irma’s center, which would be enough to straddle the entire Florida peninsula. In 2005, Hurricane Wilma crossed the state at Category 2/3 strength from Cape Romano to Jupiter. Even though Wilma’s center was 60 miles north of Fort Lauderdale, the city’s downtown experienced significant damage, with many glass facades sheared off by high wind. Floridians should be prepared for massive loss of windows and glass facades with Irma, especially if it tracks near or over Florida’s East Coast. It's worth noting that Broward County—population 1.9 million—has not experienced a direct hit from a major hurricane since 1947. At that point, the county’s population was about 85,000.

Recovery efforts in the northermost Leeward Islands, hard-hit by Irma, may be complicated by the approach of Hurricane Jose, which continues to gain strength about 700 miles east of St. Lucia. Jose’s top winds had increased to 105 mph as of 2 pm EDT Thursday, and conditions are quite favorable for continued strengthening: warm SSTs (around 29°C or 84°F), light to moderate wind shear (10 – 15 knots), and a moist atmosphere (mid-level relative humidities of 60 – 65%). On satellite, Jose is an increasingly impressive hurricane, with expansive outflow, a large, well-organized core of showers and thunderstorms (convection) and a gradually emerging eye.

Jose is predicted to become a major Category 3 hurricane by Friday, if not sooner. Unfortunately, Jose’s projected track has angled just far enough west to require Hurricane Watches for the northern Leeward Islands. The highest-probability members of the European model ensemble (0Z Thursday) track Jose just north of the islands on Saturday, but some members of the Euro and GFS ensembles do bring Jose over the northernmost Leewards.

Jose will likely slow or stall later next week over the open Northwest Atlantic south of Bermuda. There is huge model disagreement on Jose’s track beyond that point, in the 7- to 10-day time frame when there is very little accuracy in model track forecast.

Hurricane Warnings have been issued from Cabo Rojo to Laguna Verde, Mexico, for yet another Atlantic system, Hurricane Katia. On Thursday morning, Katia was in a holding pattern in the Bay of Campeche, remaining stationary about 200 miles north-northeast of Veracruz with top sustained winds steady at 80 mph. Though Katia does not appear especially well-organized on satellite, it has a compact mass of intense convection, with a fair amount of upper-level outflow, especially to its north and east.



Steering currents are expected to kick in and push Katia toward the coast of Mexico’s Veracruz state by Friday night. Katia is a small hurricane, which allows for more rapid strengthening and weakening based on the conditions in play. From Thursday up to landfall, Katia will be encountering very warm SSTs (30-31°C or 86-88°F) and light to moderate wind shear, with a dip in wind shear below 10 knots on Thursday night into Friday. Given the very moist atmosphere enveloping Katia (mid-level relative humidities of around 70%), it is quite possible Katia could become a major hurricane before landfall. The official NHC forecast as of 11 am EDT Thursday tops out at 105 mph.

Should we end up with three simultaneous major hurricanes at some point on Friday or early Saturday (a real possibility), it will be a first in Atlantic records going back to 1851, and certainly for the satellite era, going back to the 1970s. Our last set of three simultaneous hurricanes—2010’s Igor, Karl, and Julia—were all majors, but there was no overlap between their periods of Category 3 or stronger intensity. According to Phil Klotzbach, the only time on record with three simultaneous Category 2 storms in the Atlantic was in 1893. He noted: “Of course, there may have been some underestimates in storm intensity during the Grover Cleveland administration!”</s>Florida is on high alert for the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma, which continues to tear a deadly path trough the Caribbean, leaving devastation in its wake.

The 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 seven 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.

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

Meanwhile, two separate hurricanes are adding to the region’s stormy conditions. Hurricane Katia is drifting in the south-western gulf of Mexico, while Jose “continues intensifying” over the central Atlantic as it follows in Irma’s wake.

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 Irma 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.

It came less close to the capital San Juan than expected, with its last location about 140 miles north-west of the city.

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.
• READ MORE: Video: Hurrican Harvey filmed sweeping across Texas from space

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 Friday.

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

With 1,350 miles of coastline, the most in the continental United States, Florida has roughly 2.5 million homes in hazard zones, more than three times that of any other state, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency data.

The latest 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 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.

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.

Antigua and Barbuda prime minister Gaston Browne told the Associated Press that nearly every building on Barbuda was damaged when the hurricane passed overhead, leaving around 60% of the island’s approximately 1,400 people homeless.

Barbuda had been left “barely habitable”, he said.

French president Emmanuel Macron said he expects that victims and heavy damage will be discovered on the 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.
• READ MORE: Storm Aileen to be first winter storm name

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 leave 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.”</s>FORT MYERS, Fla. Here is everything you need to know on Hurricane Irma as the storm develops:

A local state of emergency was declared Wednesday morning at the The Fort Myers Beach Town Hall.

The 8 a.m. advisory maintains Hurricane Irma’s winds at 185 as the eye passes over St. Martin, the National Hurricane Center said.

The Category 5 storm is moving north-northwest at 16 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The system is about 15 miles west of St. Martin and about 25 miles west of Anguilla, as the “northern eyewall (is) pounding Anguilla.”

Some Southwest Florida stores are experiencing long lines ahead of Hurricane Irma.

WINK News reporter Jessica Alpern was live in Cape Coral as some gas stations are experiencing gas shortages.
• The Wawa on Pine Island Road and Del Prado Boulevard has gas
• The Speedway near Del Prado Boulevard and Viscaya Parkway has gas
• The 7-Eleven near Chiquita Boulevard and Tropicana Parkway has a shipment expected at 10 a.m.
• The 7-Eleven near Chiquita Boulevard and Gleason Parkway, and two trucks are expected between Wednesday morning and Friday
• The Speedway near Cape Coral Parkway and Coronado Parkway is out of gas, and it’s unclear when a new shipment will be coming

WINK News reporter John Trierweiler was live in Fort Myers as some people living in Southwest Florida begin leaving ahead of Hurricane Irma:

The 5 a.m. advisory keeps Hurricane Irma at a Category 5 as the “potentially catastrophic” storm moves towards St. Martin, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane Irma is moving north-northwest at 16 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The system is about 35 miles east-southeast of St. Martin and about 145 miles east of St. Croix, as well as having maximum sustained winds at 185 mph.

The government of the Bahamas issued a Hurricane Warning for the Southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands, the National Hurricane Center said. A Hurricane Watch was also issued for the Central Bahamas.

The Tropical Storm Warning for Dominica has been discontinued, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The 2 a.m. advisory has Hurricane Irma as a “potentially catastrophic Category 5” early Thursday morning as the eye passes over Barbuda, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane Irma is moving west-northwest at 15 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The system is about 5 miles north of Barbuda and about 40 miles north of Antigua, and has maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, Guadeloupe, and the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the northern border of Haiti, the National Hurricane Center said.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Haiti — from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Le Mole St. Nicholas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Southeastern Bahamas, and Cuba from Matanzas province eastward to Guantanamo province, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Dominica and the Dominican Republic, from south of Cabo Engano westward to the southern border of Haiti, the National Hurricane Center said.

A Tropical Storm Warning is also in effect for Haiti, from south of Le Mole St. Nicholas to Port-Au-Prince, according to the National Hurricane Center.</s>After the flooding that was brought to parts of Texas two weeks ago, the Atlantic Basin is filled with three major storms that each are set to bring their own levels of chaos.

Hurricanes Irma, Katia and Jose are all different in size, power and direction, creating a headache for officials at the US National Hurricane Center.

Some parts of the Caribbean are poised to be struck by two hurricanes, meaning that by the time they recover from one storm, they will have to prepare for another.

The last time that three hurricanes formed like this at the same time was in September 2010 when category 4 storms Igor and Julia were joined by category 3 storm Karl.

As a category 5 hurricane, Irma is as powerful as they come with recorded wind speeds of around 185mph.

Looking at radar and weather maps, the size of the storm illustrates the power that is behind Irma. If the hurricane was positioned over the UK, it would easily engulf the majority of mainland Britain, stretching from the south coast of England all the way up to northern Scotland.

At the time of writing, the storm has claimed the lives of around eight people including an infant who was killed in Barbuda.

Irma made landfall in the eastern Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda and has since travelled slowly towards the US.

Unlike Hurricane Harvey where the strong winds were the secondary concern after the intense rainfall, Irma has brought both extreme winds and mass flooding.

This storm is much smaller than Irma but still packs a punch. The category 1 storm currently has wind speeds of almost 90mph, but warm waters are feeding it, so Jose could gather strength.

Although smaller than Irma, Jose would still stretch from the north to the south of England.

Jose is currently on a similar path to Irma but is expected to veer away from the Caribbean without causing too much damage.

The National Hurricane Center predicts that the path of Jose will take the edges of the storm over areas including Anguilla as well as Antigua and Barbuda. This will come just days after they were deluged by Irma.

After this, the storm is expected to veer northwards into the Atlantic.

Katia is even smaller than Jose, but is still a category 1 hurricane with current windspeeds of around 80mph.

This system is about the size of Ireland and is moving in a different direction to the two Caribbean storms.

Katia is moving through the Gulf away from the US and towards the east coast of Mexico where the state of Veracruz has been placed on high alert.</s>British holidaymakers in the Caribbean and Florida have been urged to comply with any evacuation orders as the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane on record approaches.

The category five hurricane is expected to slam into the Leeward Islands of Antigua and Barbuda on Wednesday, before following a path along the Greater Antilles toward the US.

Six islands in the Bahamas are being evacuated on Wednesday, while officials in the Leeward Islands have reportedly cut power and urged residents to seek shelter in a statement that ended with “May God protect us all.”

As the hurricane approached, Sir Richard Branson refused to leave his private Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, but admitted “almost nothing” can withstand a storm of Irma’s force.

The hurricane, which is now at the the highest classification possible, could reach the Florida Keys over the weekend, leading authorities to declare a state of emergency.

It is expected it could bring maximum winds of 185mph, according to the National Hurricane Centre.

Meanwhile Puerto Rico, which handles many transfer flights to the Caribbean, has also declared a state of emergency.

Antigua airport will be closed on Wednesday and San Juan airport, the busiest in Puerto Rico, has cancelled about 40% of its flights in response to the hurricane.

As a result, thousands of travellers had their holiday plans thrown into chaos as airlines were forced to ground or divert flights.

British Airways sent an empty aircraft to bring customers back early – the full flight of 326 passengers touched down in the UK on Tuesday evening.

The UK Foreign Office (FO) has advised Britons in the hurricane’s path to monitor its website and follow any advice issued by local officials as the historic storm progresses through the region.

Officials warned that Irma will bring hazardous conditions to Puerto Rico and north-eastern parts of the Caribbean from Wednesday and to Florida on Friday evening.

In a statement the FO said: “The authorities in Puerto Rico and Florida have declared a state of emergency. You should follow the advice of the local authorities and any evacuation orders.”

Writing in an online blog, Sir Richard said the eye of the storm was “heading straight for Necker”.

He added: “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.”

Briton Carolyne Coleby, who runs a guest house on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, said locals were desperately trying to secure their houses with boards and remove any potential debris from outside spaces.

She told the Press Association: “The winds are starting to pick up and the clouds are coming in.

“It’s going to be the strongest hurricane ever to cross the Atlantic. I’ve no idea what to expect.”

In the Bahamas, holidaymakers at luxury resorts were told they will be moved away from coastal areas to emergency shelters.

Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said his government was flying residents out of the six islands in the south in what he called the largest storm evacuation in the country’s history.

Newlyweds Paul and Lorraine Phipps were celebrating their two-week honeymoon at a Sandals resort on the archipelago as forecasters raised Irma’s classification.

Mr Phipps, from Essex, told the Press Association: “With the Bahamas being laid back there is no panic on the resort, the resort management team are meeting daily to discuss contingencies and will communicate once decisions have been made.

“During the hurricane we will either be moved to a building away from the beach front or moved to a centre downtown.”

The US’s National Hurricane Centre described Irma as “potentially catastrophic”.

Taylor Trogdon, a scientist for the organisation, tweeted: “I am at a complete and utter loss for words looking at Irma’s appearance on satellite imagery.”

Meanwhile, Nick Merianos, a meteorologist with American television network Weather Nation, tweeted on Tuesday night: “Codrington about to experience a direct hit from #HurricaneIrma. Sint Maarten and Anguilla is next. Devastation is inevitable.”

Irma comes hot on the heels of Hurricane Harvey, which caused devastation and flooding in the states of Texas and Louisiana and left at least 66 people dead.</s>Update - 11.18am: The plane flying Pope Francis to Colombia was forced to change its flight path to avoid Hurricane Irma.

The special Alitalia jetliner, which departed late this morning from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport, had been originally scheduled to fly over Puerto Rico and Venezuela before entering Colombia airspace.

Instead, the revised route takes it south of the US territory and includes flying over Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Vatican traditionally issues telegrams of papal greetings to nations he flies over while on pilgrimages, so the updated flight plan meant the Vatican had to draft new telegrams.

Heavy rain and howling wind raked the island of Antigua as Irma arrived, sending debris flying as people huddled in their homes and government shelters.

The National Hurricane Centre's forecast was for the winds to fluctuate slightly but for the storm to remain at Category 4 or 5 strength for the next day or two.

The most dangerous winds, usually nearest to the eye, were forecast to pass near the northern Virgin Islands and near or just north of Puerto Rico.

The northern Leeward Islands were expected to see waves as high as 11ft, while the Turks and Caicos Islands and south-eastern Bahamas could see towering 20ft waves later in the week, forecasters said.

Earlier: Caribbean islanders are riding out the storm as Category 5 Hurricane Irma rakes the region with heavy rain and howling 185mph wind.

The eye of Irma passed over Barbuda in the early hours, and residents said over local radio that phone lines had gone down.

The storm ripped the roof off the island's police station, forcing officers to seek refuge in the nearby fire station and at the community centre that served as an official shelter.

Irma also knocked out communication between islands.

Midcie Francis of the National Office of Disaster Services confirmed there was damage to several homes, but said it was too early to assess the extent.

On the the neighbouring island of Antigua, debris was flying as people huddled in their homes and government shelters.

"I hear it's a Cat 5 now and I'm terrified," Antigua resident Carol Joseph said as she finished her last trip to the supermarket before seeking shelter. "I had to come back for more batteries because I don't know how long the current will be off."

On the 108-square-mile island, 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.

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

Other islands in the path of the storm include the Virgin Islands and Anguilla, a small, low-lying territory of about 15,000 people.

US President Donald Trump declared emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and authorities in the Bahamas said they would evacuate six southern islands.

The northern Leeward Islands were expected to see waves as high as 11ft, while the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas could see towering 20ft waves later in the week, forecasters said.

"This is not an opportunity to go outside and try to have fun with a hurricane," US Virgin Islands governor Kenneth Mapp warned. "It's not time to get on a surfboard."

Bahamas prime minister Hubert Minnis said his government was evacuating the six islands in the south because authorities would not be able to help anyone caught in the "potentially catastrophic" wind, flooding and storm surge.

People there were being flown to Nassau in what he called the largest storm evacuation in the country's history.

"The price you may pay for not evacuating is your life or serious physical harm," Mr Minnis said.

Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rossello said: "The dangerousness of this event is like nothing we've ever seen. A lot of infrastructure won't be able to withstand this kind of force."

The director of the island's power company has warned that storm damage could leave some areas without electricity for up to four to six months. The utility's infrastructure has deteriorated greatly during a decade-long recession, and Puerto Ricans had an island-wide outage last year.

Government officials began evacuations and urged people to finalise all preparations as store shelves emptied around Puerto Rico.

"The decisions that we make in the next couple of hours can make the difference between life and death," Mr Rossello said. "This is an extremely dangerous storm."

In Florida, people also stocked up on drinking water and other supplies.

Governor Rick Scott activated 100 members of the Florida National Guard to be deployed across the state, and 7,000 more National Guard members were to report for duty on Friday when the storm could be approaching.

On Monday, Mr Scott declared a state of emergency in all of Florida's 67 counties.

Officials in the Florida Keys geared up to get tourists and residents out of Irma's path, and the mayor of Miami-Dade county said people should be prepared to evacuate Miami Beach and most of the county's coastal areas.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the voluntary evacuations could begin as soon as Wednesday evening. He activated the emergency operation centre and urged residents to have three days of food and water.</s>Hurricane Irma plowed past the Dominican Republic on Thursday after devastating a string of Caribbean islands and killing at least 11 people as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century took aim at Florida. With winds of around 180 mph (290 kph), the storm lashed several small islands in the northeast Caribbean, including Barbuda, St. Martin and the British Virgin Islands, tearing down trees, flattening homes and causing widespread damage.

The eye of the hurricane passed north of Puerto Rico early Thursday, battering the U.S. territory with high winds and heavy rains and leaving nearly 70 percent of the population without electricity, Governor Ricardo Rossello said. The eye of Irma was moving west-northwest off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic on Thursday morning, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Irma’s precise course remained uncertain but it was likely to be downgraded to a Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall in Florida, according to the NHC.

Irma has become a little less organized over the past few hours but the threat of a direct hurricane impact in Florida over the weekend and early next week was increasing, the NHC said. Authorities in the Dominican Republic ordered the evacuation of towns along the northern Atlantic coast, as the storm ground toward the port and tourist destination of Puerto Plata. “There is a lot of wind and rain,” Puerto Plata Assistant District Attorney Juan Carlos Castro Hernandez told Reuters by telephone. “We expect things to get worse.”

At least 8 people were killed in the tiny French-Dutch island of Saint Martin, with 23 others injured, and the toll was likely to rise as emergency services reached isolated communities, officials said.

“It is an enormous disaster. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock,” Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International. Television footage from the island showed a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday to coordinate an emergency humanitarian response.

Amid criticism from many residents that the British government could have done more to help its territories, Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan said a Royal Navy ship would reach the affected islands on Thursday with tents, vehicles and other relief equipment. “Anguilla received the hurricane’s full blast. The initial assessment is that the damage has been severe and in places critical,” he told parliament.

One person was killed on the island and roads were blocked, with damage to the hospital and airport, power and phone service, Anguilla emergency service officials said. In Puerto Rico, Rossello was due to fly to the worst effected areas of the island on Thursday but said it was to early to estimate the cost of the damage. The streets of the capital San Juan were littered with downed tree limbs and signs, with many street lights out.

Juan Pablo Aleman, a restaurant owner, said he had ridden out the storm in his 11th-floor apartment.

“The building moved, shook a few times. A lot of shingles came off and some windows broke,” he told Reuters. “If it had gone a little more to the south, it would have been catastrophic.” Irma was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years, according to the NHC.

The hurricane was on track to reach Florida on Saturday or Sunday, and would become the second major hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in as many weeks after Hurricane Harvey. Florida Governor Rick Scott said it was unclear whether Irma would hit the state’s east or west coast but told residents to beware of the surge from the powerful winds. “The storm surge can kill you,” Scott said on the “CBS This Morning” program on Thursday. He urged people to heed local officials and be ready when the call came to leave their area, promising the government would provide transportation to those who need it.

Florida emergency management officials began evacuations in advance of Irma’s arrival, ordering tourists to leave the Florida Keys. Roman Gastesi, the administrator of Monroe County, which encompasses the Florida Keys, told CNN that streets were empty in Key West and 90 percent of businesses were closed. County officials, including police and emergency workers, would be leaving, he said.

“If you’re going to stay, you’re on your own,” Gastesi said. U.S. President Donald Trump was monitoring Irma’s progress. The president owns the waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump approved emergency declarations for the state, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, mobilizing federal disaster relief efforts.

The island of Barbuda, one of the first hit by the storm, was a scene of “total carnage,” said Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, adding that the tiny two-island nation will seek international assistance. Browne told the BBC that about half of Barbuda’s population of some 1,800 were homeless while nine out of 10 buildings had suffered some damage and many were destroyed.

“We flew into Barbuda only to see total carnage. It was easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences that I have had,” Browne said in an interview on BBC Radio Four, adding that it would take months or years to restore some level of normalcy to the island. Browne said one person was killed on Barbuda. A surfer was also reported killed on Barbados.

Hurricane warnings were in effect for the Bahamas and the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos, the NHC said. In Cuba, 90 miles (145 km) south of the Florida Keys, a hurricane alert was issued for the central and eastern regions, as residents in Havana waited in lines to stock up on food, water and gasoline.

Two other hurricanes formed on Wednesday. Katia in the Gulf of Mexico posed no threat to the United States, according to U.S. forecasters. Hurricane Jose was about 815 miles (1,310 km) east of the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles islands, and could eventually threaten the U.S. mainland.

The storm activity comes after Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused property damage estimated to be as much as $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>Hurricane Irma killed eight people on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin and left Barbuda devastated on Thursday as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century took aim at Florida.

Television footage of the Franco-Dutch island of Saint Martin showed a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes. Power was knocked out on Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy and in parts of the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. "It is an enormous disaster, 95 percent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock," Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said eight people were killed and the toll was likely to rise.

"We did not have the time yet to explore all the shores," Collomb told Franceinfo radio, adding that 23 people were also injured. In all, at least 10 people were reported killed by Irma on four islands. Irma caused "enormous damage" to the Dutch side of Saint Martin, called Sint Maarten, the Dutch Royal Navy said. The navy tweeted images gathered by helicopter of damaged houses, hotels and boats. The airport was unreachable, it said. The hurricane was on track to reach Florida on Saturday or Sunday, becoming the second major hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in as many weeks after Hurricane Harvey.

The eye of Irma was moving west-northwest off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The island of Barbuda is a scene of "total carnage" and the tiny two-island nation will seek international assistance, said Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Browne told the BBC about half of Barbuda's population of some 1,800 were homeless while nine out of 10 buildings had suffered some damage and many were destroyed. "We flew into Barbuda only to see total carnage. It was easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences that I have had," Browne said in an interview on BBC Radio Four.

"Approximately 50 percent of them (residents of Barbuda) are literally homeless at this time. They are bunking together, we are trying to get ... relief supplies to them first thing tomorrow morning," he said, adding that it would take months or years to restore some level of normalcy to the island. Browne said one person was killed on Barbuda. A second storm-related fatality, that of a surfer, was reported on Barbados. Irma buffeted Puerto Rico early on Thursday, buffeting its capital San Juan with heavy downpours and strong winds that scattered tree limbs across roadways.

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. The NHC said it was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years. Irma's precise course remained uncertain but it was likely to be downgraded to a Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall in Florida, 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 were increasing, it said. Hurricane watches were in effect for the northwestern Bahamas and much of Cuba.

Two other hurricanes formed on Wednesday. Katia in the Gulf of Mexico posed no threat to the United States, according to U.S. forecasters. Hurricane Jose about 1,000 miles (1,610 km) east of the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles islands, could eventually threaten the U.S. mainland. The storm activity comes after Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused property damage estimated as high as $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana.

Florida emergency management officials, chastened by Harvey's devastation, began evacuations days in advance of Irma's arrival, ordering all tourists to leave the Florida Keys. Evacuation of residents from the Keys began Wednesday evening.

Ed Rappaport, the Miami-based NHC's acting director, told WFOR-TV that Irma was a "once-in-a-generation storm". Florida's normally storm-jaded residents appeared to be taking the warnings seriously, too. In Cuba, 90 miles (145 km) south of the Keys, authorities posted a hurricane alert for the island's central and eastern regions, as residents in Havana, the capital, waited in lines to stock up on food, water and gasoline. U.S. President Donald Trump said he and aides were monitoring Irma's progress. The president owns the waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Florida could take a direct hit from the storm and Trump approved emergency declarations from that state, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, mobilizing federal disaster relief efforts. Florida Governor Rick Scott said Irma could be more devastating than Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm that struck the state in 1992 and still ranks as one of the costliest ever in the United States. Residents in most coastal communities of densely populated Miami-Dade County were ordered to move to higher ground beginning at 9 a.m. ET (1300 GMT) on Thursday, Mayor Carlos Gimenez said.</s>Miami, Sep 5 (IANS) Hurricane Irma intensified into a Category 5 hurricane on Tuesday as it headed toward the Lesser Antilles, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Irma is “an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane” and “preparations should be rushed to completion in the hurricane warning area”, the NHC said in its 1200 GMT advisory.

The storm, which has maximum sustained winds of 280 kmph, is about 440 km east of Antigua and 445 km east-southeast of Barbuda, Efe news agency reported.

Irma is moving west at 22 kmph, the NHC said.

A hurricane warning has been issued for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy, the British Virgin Islands, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Vieques and Culebra islands.

A hurricane watch is in effect for Guadeloupe and the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engaño to the northern border with Haiti.

Dominica is under a tropical storm warning, as is the Dominican Republic from south of Cabo Engaño to Saona Island.

Irma developed from a tropical storm into a Category 2 hurricane last Thursday and rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which measures hurricane strength in a range of 1 to 5.

On Monday, Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency, giving local government officials time to plan and obtain resources for a possible landfall by Irma in the Sunshine State.

Several of the forecast models used by meteorologists show Irma possibly making landfall in Florida next week.

The first tropical storm of the 2017 season was Arlene, which formed in the mid-Atlantic in April, more than a month before the official start of hurricane season on June 1.

Tropical Storm Bret formed on June 19 and was followed by Cindy, a “no-name storm,” Don and Emily.

Tropical Storm Emily made landfall on July 31 on Anna Maria Island, located south of Tampa, Florida, after forming quickly in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Storm Franklin became the first hurricane of the season, affecting Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and was followed by another tropical storm, Gert.

Harvey caused extensive damage along the Texas Gulf coast and massive flooding in Houston, Beaumont and other cities in the southeastern part of the state.

Hurricane Harvey killed at least 60 people and the floodwaters from the storm have still not receded in most areas.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a May 25 report that 11 to 17 tropical storms would form during the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, with between five and nine of the systems becoming hurricanes, and two to four of the hurricanes reaching a high category on the Saffir-Simpson scale of strength.
Hurricane Irma makes first landfall on Barbuda, Saint Martin, and Anguilla in the northeastern Leeward Islands. Irma has maintained 185 miles per hour (298 km/h) winds for 24 hours, setting another record for Atlantic and eastern Pacific storms.