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Irma: 'Strongest Atlantic hurricane ever' heads towards Caribbean

Hurricane Irma is approaching the northern Leeward Islands as it continues deeper into the Caribbean and towards the southern US.

The "potentially catastrophic" hurricane, with maximum winds of 185mph, was about 50 miles south-east of Barbuda by the early hours of Wednesday UK time.

Residents of the Leeward Islands of Antigua and Barbuda were told to stay indoors for protection from what officials described as Irma's "onslaught" in a statement that closed with "May God protect us all".

The hurricane was upgraded to a category five storm - the highest possible designation - on Tuesday afternoon.

Irma's eye is forecast to cross the northern Leeward Islands, east of Puerto Rico, on Tuesday night or early Wednesday and is expected to reach southern Florida on Saturday.

The Governor of Florida, Rick Scott, has declared a state of emergency, asking President Trump to make a "pre-landfall" emergency declaration.

British Airways sent an empty aircraft to the region, bringing 326 customers back to the UK on Tuesday before the hurricane arrived.

The airline also cancelled a flight from the UK to Antigua, advising anyone due to travel to the Caribbean and Florida in the coming days to re-book.

A Virgin Atlantic flight leaving Antigua on Tuesday left five hours early to avoid the storm, with the company also advising passengers to re-book flights.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office told Britons to follow the advice of local authorities and any evacuation orders.

There are fears that Irma could be be even stronger than Hurricane Harvey when it hits land.

Hurricane Harvey, a category four storm at its strongest, had maximum sustained winds of 130mph just before it made landfall in Texas, killing more than 60 people and leaving 30,000 homeless.

The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center is that Irma will score a direct hit on the island of Barbuda at 7am BST on Wednesday, followed by another direct hit on Anguilla, another British overseas territory, at 7pm BST the same day.

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "The initial threat of Irma is for the Leewards Islands through Tuesday night and early Wednesday,.

"As it gets closer, dangerous storm surge and large breaking waves will make water levels rise and lead to coastal flooding.

"Worst-hit areas look likely to be the British and US Virgin Islands."

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has ordered workers to clear drains and prune trees as branches could down power lines in strong winds.

"The passage of a hurricane is not a matter to be taken lightly, but we must not panic," he said.

In the Bahamas, the government ordered an evacuation of the southern part of the island chain, with people being flown to Nassau on the island of New Providence.

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said people who don't evacuate will be at "great danger" from what he called a "monster" hurricane.

Briton Carolyne Coleby, who runs a guest house and turtle conservation project on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, said the storm was going to be "spectacularly unpleasant".

Taking heed of the hurricane warnings, she is sheltering her herd of 20 goats in her house to keep them safe.

Governor of US territory Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, said 10-20cm of rain was expected, as well as winds of 40-50mph as he warned of flooding and power cuts.

A state of emergency was declared on the island, which has a population of about 3.4 million.

Ronald Jackson, head of the Caribbean disaster emergency management agency, said: "I can't recall a tropical cone developing that rapidly into a major hurricane prior to arriving in the central Caribbean."