Authorities of the various island nations are making last-minute preparations for the landfall of Irma, as officials warned of potentially catastrophic effects.
Reports say the category five hurricane, which is the highest possible level, is driven by wind speeds reaching three hundred kilometres per hour.
It is already hitting the Leeward Islands and will move on towards Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
In the United States, authorities in Florida’s Key West area have ordered a mandatory evacuation.
President DONALD TRUMP has also declared a state of emergency in Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, mobilizing federal disaster relief efforts for those areas.
