Cuba is suffering the worst of hurricane Irma’s winds and rain right now, as the category three storm tracks its way across land along the coast. In Miami, intermittent gusts and rainfall have given away for the moment, with the storm still over 150 miles to the south.

Irma is expected to regain strength as it heads northward, with a projected course along Florida’s west coast.

Florida officials have asked another 700,000 to leave ahead of Hurricane Irma, the AP reports, meaning that nearly seven million Americans across several states have been ordered to evacuate.

The extraordinary evacuation is the largest in many counties’ histories, and involves a mass exodus from on of the nation’s most populous states. Miami enacted a curfew from 6pm to 9am; Broward county from 4pm until Saturday morning.

The National Weather Service is now predicting 10-20in of rain, with 20-25in in the Florida Keys and other particularly vulnerable regions.

The storm will bring “life-threatening winds” all around Florida, the agency says, “regardless of the exact track of the center”. The wind hazards will reach as far north as Georgia and South Carolina over the next day. In the southernmost points of the state, stations are bracing for the worst case scenarios.

Hurricane Irma has lost some of its force as its winds break across Cuba’s northern coast, but the island is bearing the brunt of that. Towns there have been hit by gigantic storm surges.

The National Weather Service predicts that south-west Florida’s coastline will see similar surges, possibly with flooding as high as 10-15ft.

More than 50,000 people have gone to about 300 shelters around Florida, state emergency management officials have said, from about 5.6 million people told to leave their homes in coastal stretches.

The AP reports that the Florida Keys evacuated about 460 inmates and 125 corrections officers from a jail on Stock Island, toward the bottom of the archipelago that lies in Irma’s path.

And although the storm remains about 175 miles away from the mainland, about 30,000 people in south Florida have already lost power.

South of Naples, Florida, on the state’s Gulf coast, the Tampa Bay Times’s Zack Sampson tweets that the outer bands of rain have reached the beaches.

The storm’s outer bands of rain reached southern Miami earlier on Saturday morning. The National Weather Service there reports “gusty showers” of 45-55mph, with the possibility of funnel clouds.

Broward County, just north of Miami-Dade and south of Palm Beach counties, has just announced a 4pm curfew to get people inside. Authorities have repeatedly said they would not be able to help people once the storm begins.

At one of the final updates before the storm strikes the US mainland, Rick Scott, the Florida governor, has urged residents to make their final moves to shelters or to protect their homes.

“I urge everyone to talk to your neighbors, your family and friends,” Scott said. “Every Floridian should take this seriously and be aggressive to protect your family. … Your positions can be replaced, your life cannot be replaced, your family cannot be replaced.”

More than 260 shelters were open around the state, he added, and 70 more would open over the course of the day. “Everyone in Florida needs to find a safe place to go,” he said.

Traffic was moving on evacuation routes, though there was still congestion in some areas, he said. “Evacuations are not meant to be convenient – they’re meant to be safe. If you don’t need to be on the road, don’t be on the road.” Residents can go to FL511.com for updates on traffic and evacuation routes.

Scott urged people to act now, before the storm paralyzes authorities and civilians alike.
“We can’t do it once the storm starts.” He said the state was working “aggressively to keep gas stations open and filled,” but that the state’s ports were already closed and supplies would be cut off within hours.

Every available Florida guardsman has been deployed, he said, guiding people to shelters and preparing for the aftermath of the storm. “We are under a state of emergency. Healthcare staff, we need you to be there to help your community.”

Finally, Scott made a plea for more volunteers. He said: “We need 1,000 volunteer nurses for special-needs shelters.” He said nurses could visit FLHealth.gov for more information about how to help.

As Irma continues apace throughout the Caribbean, women, children and the most vulnerable in Saint-Martin are the first to flee the island as hurricane Jose approaches.

Jose has been classed as a category-4 storm, which makes it “extremely dangerous”.

Agence France-Presse has reported that the Grand-Case airport, on the French-run side, is the only way off the island and the departure hall now resembles a children’s ward in a hospital.

The tiny airport, with its single short runway, is grotesquely ill-equipped to evacuate the island’s 40,000-plus population. Therefore only the most vulnerable groups are allowed to enter the airport.

The Florida attorney general has announced that there have been 8,000 complaints following reports that airlines applied surge pricing – or price gouging – after the hurricane precipitated extreme demand.

“This is the time to help our neighbors, not take advantage of them,” declared Governor Rick Scott yesterday.

Would-be fliers have complained that prices skyrocketed as the week went on. However, some airlines have since applied price caps.

On CNN, experts are arguing whether price gouging is appropriate during emergencies in what is clearly an issue that exposes the faultlines between libertarians and social democrats.

Britons in the path of Hurricane Irma are being warned the “situation could deteriorate significantly” as it bears down on the US mainland.

The foreign and commonwealth office has said its ability to provide assistance may be “extremely limited” and advised those affected to make their own contingency plans.

The historic storm regained its category five status overnight before dropping back to category four on Saturday after leaving more than 20 people dead across the Caribbean.

More than six million people in Florida and Georgia have been warned to leave their homes as the hurricane continues to batter the north coast of Cuba.

Prime minister Theresa May said work was taking place with US authorities to ensure British expats and tourists in Florida are protected as millions of locals and visitors flee to safety.

But the latest travel advice issued by the government states:

Across the United States, it is important that you follow the advice of the local authorities, including any evacuation orders.

The situation could deteriorate significantly. Our ability to provide assistance may be extremely limited.

You should ensure you have your own contingency plans in place and consider your travel plans very carefully.

Aid and expertise is being provided to Britain’s territories in the region in a 32 million government cash injection.

Engineers, marines and medics are being carried on board RFA Mounts Bay, which delivered six tonnes of supplies to Anguilla and carried out repair work before moving on to the British Virgin Islands.

Those on Caribbean islands braced for a second battering, this time from Hurricane Jose, were told the storm has weakened slightly.

But forecasters warned it was still a “dangerous” category four hurricane, which is expected to come close to the devastated northern Leeward Islands on Saturday.

A hurricane warning for the Commonwealth island of Barbuda and the British territory of Anguilla has been downgraded to a tropical storm warning, while Antigua and the British Virgin Islands are on tropical storm watch.

Life-threatening wind, rain and a storm surge are expected in the Turks and Caicos Islands, another British territory, into Saturday, after it was “pummelled” by Irma on Thursday night.

The foreign office has set up a hotline for people affected by the disaster and for people whose loved ones may be affected, on 020 7008 0000.

Hurricane Jose is set to make landfall in the eastern Caribbean islands already ravaged by Hurricane Irma.

Richard Branson has published an update on the situation in the British Virgin Islands before the new storm hits.

He said:

Governments – the UK in the British Virgin Islands, the US in the US Virgin Islands – need to do all they can to help people here who have lost their homes and in many cases will have lost their livelihoods after the storm.

Man-made climate change is contributing to increasingly strong hurricanes causing unprecedented damage. The whole world should be scrambling to get on top of the climate change issue before it is too late – for this generation, let alone the generations to come.

We are hopeful Hurricane Jose will not hit the BVI as hard as Hurricane Irma did, but urging everyone to get prepared and helping with supplies where we can.

My colleague Ed Pilkington is in Miami and has this update on the atmosphere as Hurricane Irma heads towards Florida:

Amid the relentless news of devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Irma, millions of Floridians bracing for one of the strongest storms to hit the US mainland this century will clutch at any good news, and they got some this morning.

In the 8am advisory from the National Hurricane Center, which is being watched here in South Florida with almost biblical zeal, the weather experts told us that the hurricane’s winds had slowed from about 155mph to 130mph as a little of its terrifying energy was soaked up by the landmass on the coast of Cuba.

The hope that the weather analysts gave with one hand, they took away with the other, however. “Irma is forecast to restrengthen once it moves away from Cuba,” the advisory goes on to say, “and Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane as it approaches Florida.”

That spells certain catastrophe now for the Florida Keys, which is expected to be struck by Irma very early on Sunday morning. Thousands of people have already left the Keys, though as the Miami Herald is reporting some die-hards are clinging on which seems rash bearing in mind the threat of a storm surge of up to 10ft.

It also spells trouble for the west coast of Florida where Irma is continuing to target given a slight westward veer in the past 24 hours. The impact could reach as far north as Tampa Bay, which hasn’t experienced a major hurricane since 1921.

Irma is now 215 miles south of Miami and moving north at a speed of 12mph. In Miami the first power outages – of 26,000 homes – have been reported, but hopes are rising that some of the worst of the damage may be avoided as the strife swings towards the west coast.

Nonetheless, the streets of the city were virtually empty on Saturday morning, and all petrol stations, supermarkets and other commercial outlets were closed. The city of 6 million people is now in a stunned state of foreboding, waiting to find out what nature has in store for the fourth-largest urban area.

The Cuban dolphins aren’t the only animals to be evacuated thanks to Hurricane Irma.

These roosters are being taken to safety in Florida, wrapped in newspaper jackets or “burritos” to avoid any squabbles on the car journey.

Meanwhile, staff at Ernest Hemingway’s home, which is now a museum, are defying the evacuation order, in the hope of safeguarding the property and its famous six-toed cats.

The 19th-century Hemingway Home Museum in Key West has been boarded up, with the storm heading straight for it.

The museum’s 54 cats, who are all descendants of the late author’s own cats, will be looked after by 10 members of staff.

The Guardian has spoken to Joe Farrar from Manchester, who is on holiday in Varadero, Cuba with his girlfriend, Helen. He says he was meant to leave Cuba on Friday, but Thomas Cook delayed his flight. He says Canadian tourists had been evacuated from the resort complex, but British tourists have been left at the hotel.

Hurricane Irma is set to hit the peninsula tonight.

Farrar told the Guardian:

We’re a bit scared. We’ve been left in limbo. They told us that they’ll turn off the power when the storm hits. If it gets really bad, we have to get in the bathroom.

The hotel staff have been brilliant to us. We are alright, but there’s a couple here who need medication and they’re running out. I’m sure we will be fine – we have crisps.

He posted this video on Twitter:

Thomas Cook have released travel advice for Varadero, and say they are monitoring the situation on the ground.

The UK government has pledged to double any public donations made to the British Red Cross appeal for victims of Hurricane Irma.

For every £1 given towards the relief effort in the Caribbean, another £1 will be added through the department for international development’s aid match scheme, up to £3m.

Donations will support people through the region, including in the badly hit British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos.

Priti Patel, secretary of state for international development, says:

Today we are announcing we will double any public donations which are made to the British Red Cross appeal through DFID’s Aid Match scheme.

The overwhelming generosity of the UK public in times of crisis is one of the things that makes Britain truly great.

This will help get water, food, shelter and power to those left devastated by Hurricane Irma.

This donation is on top of the £32m already pledged by the government.‎

Mike Adamson, chief executive of British Red Cross, says:

We would like to thank DFID for supporting our Hurricane Irma appeal, raising urgent funds for those affected by this devastating disaster. The most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic has left major destruction in its wake.

Red Cross teams are on the ground now supporting people in shelters, providing first aid and doing whatever they can to help.

The pledge came after Patel visited her department’s disaster response centre in Kemble, Gloucestershire on Friday.

About 10,000 UK aid buckets and 5,000 UK solar lanterns were being prepared at the centre while she was there and it is hoped they would reach those in need in the next few days.

Patel also pledged on Friday to double the number of humanitarian experts in the region from four to eight, who are now working in the field across several islands to assess need. Further advisors are expected to arrive in the coming days.

The British Army and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are delivering aid to those affected by Hurricane Irma.

Pictures released on Twitter show soldiers passing supplies along a chain and shelter kits, water and medical supplies being loaded onto a helicopter.

The UK government has also pledged to double any public donations to the British Red Cross’ public appeal, the charity announced on Saturday.

The efforts follow criticism of Theresa May on Friday for the government’s lacklustre response to the natural disaster.

The chairs of the UK’s foreign affairs and development select committees have asked the government to explain its response to Hurricane Irma, which has been widely deemed as inadequate.

“Experts and many in the area have been critical of the overall level of relief currently on offer as well as the apparent lack of forward-thinking once the storm’s route to Florida became more than just a possibility,” Tom Tugendhat and Stephen Twigg wrote.

On Friday following a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee, May said:

I heard directly from our consul general in Miami about the support that is being given to British nationals living in Florida and also British tourists in Florida.

We are, of course, working with the US authorities to ensure that every support is available and everything can be done before Hurricane Irma reaches Florida.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have released an updated advisory on US travel saying that its ability to assist British people in Florida may be limited and anyone there should follow advice from local authorities.

It is unknown how many Brits are currently in Florida, a popular holiday destination for families and older people.

The statement said:

Across the United States it is important that you follow the advice of the local authorities, including any evacuation orders. The situation could deteriorate significantly. Our ability to provide assistance may be extremely limited. You should ensure you have your own contingency plans in place and consider your travel plans very carefully.

Cuba prides itself on hurricane preparations, and Irma is no different. Over 1 million Cubans were evacuated before the storm, according to local media. Even dolphins have been transported to safety.

Six dolphins were transported by helicopter from a dophinarium in Cayo Guillermo island in the north of Cuba to protective swimming pools in Cienfuegos on Thursday.

Frozen star Josh Gad has described his co-star Kristen Bell as “an angel sent from above” after she helped his family who were caught up in Hurricane Irma.

Gad, who voices snowman Olaf in the animated hit, said Bell arranged for a hotel room for his parents when they were stranded in Florida as the US state braced for the storm to hit.

He shared a picture of Bell, who voices Princess Anna in the film, with his parents on both Instagram and Twitter.

On Instagram he captioned it:

So @kristenanniebell literally saved my parents and my entire family tonight from hurricane irma.

When they were stranded in Florida, she got them a hotel room at her hotel in Orlando and saved them, my brothers, my sister-in-law and niece and nephew.

They don’t make them like this girl. Thank you Kristen. You are truly an angel sent from above.

Bell previously said she had been moved by the community spirit she witnessed as she prepared to hunker down in Orlando to wait out the hurricane.

She shared a photograph of herself at the supermarket stocking up on food and bottled water:

Where would American disasters be without fake news circulating online? Hoax articles about Hurricane Irma are being pumped out by hastily created sites but, luckily, Snopes – a leading fact-checking site – has been assiduously debunking their false truths.

One viral message claimed that the 2005 movie Category 7: The End of the World predicted the arrival of hurricanes named Harvey and Irma. However, according to Snopes, none of the storms or hurricanes in the movie are called Harvey or Irma.

“Atlantic hurricanes are named from a prescribed list of names that are rotated every six years and published in advance,” wrote Dan McGill. “So we already know the list of potential hurricane names for 2018, 2019, and every year for the foreseeable future, unless they are changed by the World Meteorological Association.”

Elsewhere, an aerial image of the hurricane accompanied by a news ticker purporting that the storm had airlifted several sharks went viral after someone created it on BreakYourOwnNews.com.

Some of those who shared the post are likely to have been duped and Snopes confirmed that the hurricane is not, in fact, a sharknado.

A British man and his family are “lucky to be alive” after they survived Hurricane Irma.

Brendan Joyce, his wife Sasha, her father and their children sheltered in his father-in-law’s house as the storm tore across Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.