Nearly two-thirds of homes in Florida are without power
Four storm-related deaths have been reported so far in Florida
The weakening storm is crossing into Georgia
At least 37 people were killed as Irma rolled across the Caribbean
Serious storm conditions have been affecting much of Florida overnight, as the hurricane's outer bands pass over the state.
Image source, ReutersThe latest local official figures said almost 400,000 were without power at 06:00 local time (10:00 GMT) .
This included over 250,000 homes in the eastern Miami-Dade county, despite the storm being focused on the state's west coast.
Authorities in Florida will have been keeping a close eye on Irma as she made landfall across the Caribbean.
Here is some footage from Cuba showing the force with which the storm hit the island's north coast.
Hurricane Irma strikes Cuba
The US National Weather Service has issued an immediate "extreme wind warning" to the Lower Florida Keys - which include Key West.
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Such a warning is only issued when a landfalling hurricane's strongest winds, or eyewall, is about to hit at a speed above 100 knots or 115 mph (185 km/h).
Image source, AFP/GETTYThe category four storm is maintaining sustained wind speeds of up to 130 mph (209km/h) as it edges closer to the Florida Keys - a set of shallow islands off the state's southern coast.
The eye of the hurricane is now only miles away from Key West - an island usually home to 27,000 people
The area has been under a mandatory evacuation order since Thursday, but hundreds of people have reportedly stayed on the islands, against official advice.
Image source, ReutersWe are resuming our live coverage of the impact of Hurricane Irma, as the storm nears the Florida coast.
For an overview of the latest information, here is our story on the hurricane.
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Hurricane Irma: Eye of the storm passes Hispaniola
We are now pausing our live coverage of Hurricane Irma. At the moment the eye of the storm is passing the northern coast of the Dominican Republic towards Haiti.
For the latest information see our news story.
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Simon Cross, 32, who moved from the UK to the British Virgin Islands in 2014, told the BBC that Irma had left a trail of devastation. Speaking from near Road Town on the island of Tortola, he said the islands were "in a terrible state" and said looting was taking place.
"Only a very small minority of roofs are completely intact with some losing their roofs entirely and apparently areas in East End and Nanny Cay have been completely flattened," he said.
"It’s gone from a lush green tropical island to almost like there’s been a fire. There are boats upside down all twisted up. You can see corrugated sheeting littering all of the mountain.
"It’s unclear as to how many people are trapped. I can’t get hold of any of my friends. The island needs additional resources from the UK urgently.
"We went into town earlier and there were cars flipped over, concrete walls ripped open. I can’t believe it. It’s like something out of a movie. Looting is now occurring in Road Town Riteway supermarket.
"There’s an incredible amount of damage and many of us are just thankful for our lives. Our property had the protective steel shutters ripped from a couple of the windows and the basement French doors ripped off.
"In the first half of the storm a skylight was ripped from the roof. The eye of the storm provided a 25/30 minute respite that gave us a short window to frantically nail some timber in the skylight hole. Thankfully it held firm for the second half of the storm.
"We’ve heard stories of people killed trying to hold on to doors which were being ripped off. One father was apparently killed while trying to protect his family by holding on to a door that had blown in.
"A medic I spoke to was aware of four fatalities. Apparently even the premier’s house has been flattened."
Irma reporter in Antigua: 'Mum, I always wanted to do this'
Footage has emerged of a reporter in Antigua describing Irma's "tropical storm conditions".
"It's crazy, it's crazy," says Steve Freeland, who was reporting for ABS television as the storm approached the island.
"She's ready, Irma is on her way," he said.
"In the next update we should be feeling the full wrath of Hurricane Irma... I'm good," he added.
One person is reported to have died and several others are said to have been injured on the Dutch part of St Martin island, AFP news agency reports.
St Martin, an island that comprises the French territory of Saint-Martin and the Dutch section Sint-Maarten, has suffered terrible damage.
At least 10 people are now believed to have died after Hurricane Irma caused widespread destruction across the Caribbean.
Sir Richard Branson says that "whole houses" on his private island in the Caribbean have been swept away, leaving it "completely and utterly devastated".
The businessman refused to leave his private retreat of Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), saying that he was "retreating to a concrete wine cellar" with his staff as the hurricane approached.
"We took shelter from the strongest hurricane ever inside the concrete cellar on Necker and very, very fortunately it held firm," Mr Branson said in a blog post, external on Thursday.
"We are still assessing the damage," he said, adding: "Whole houses and trees have disappeared."
Hurricane Irma is accompanied by two other storms that have strengthened to become hurricanes - Katia to the west and Jose to the south-east. There are more graphics on the BBC's visual guide to the hurricanes.
The Queen says she and Prince Philip are "shocked and saddened" by the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.
The Queen is constitutional monarch of the dual-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda which has been badly hit.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed or adversely affected by this terrible storm," she said.
The UK has announced it is sending a military task group to help clean up after the hurricane.
Don't believe everything you see about Hurricane Irma.
Fake news, videos and doctored images have spread rumours about the scale and path of the hurricane
Fortunately, BBC Trending have put together a handy guide on what to be wary of.
Image source, Getty ImagesPeople prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami Beach, Florida
With residential areas left "barely habitable" in regions already struck by Irma, which areas are likely to be the worst affected in the coming days?
We have put together a guide based on the latest forecasts.
As Miami prepares for the possible landfall of Hurricane Irma, pictures emerge of people standing on the upper decks of a departing cruise ship at Miami beach.
Current forecasts for the path of the category five storm show that it could hit south Florida this weekend.
Image source, Getty ImagesMiami has been warned that it is believed to be in the path of Hurricane Irma
The governor of Georgia has issued a mandatory evacuation order for the city of Savannah, AFP news agency reports.
Governor Nathan Deal said the order, starting Saturday, includes areas such as Chatham County.
"I encourage all Georgians in our coastal areas that could be impacted by this storm to evacuate the area as soon as possible," Mr Deal said.
He added that the earlier state of emergency had been expanded to additional counties.
Image source, Getty Images"We are with the people of Florida," Mr Trump said on Thursday
US President Donald Trump says he is "very concerned" as the powerful storm is projected to make its way toward the Florida coast after leaving a trail of devastation across the Caribbean.
"We are very concerned, we are working very hard" Mr Trump said at the Oval Office, adding: "We are as well prepared as you can be for something like this, now it's just a question of what happens."
A government spokesman tweets
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The EU is "mobilising" its emergency response efforts to help assist the countries "affected or threatened" by Hurricane Irma, the bloc said in a statement, external (in French).
"The European Union fully supports our partners and friends in the Caribbean region and beyond at this time of great need," the statement said.
The European satellite mapping system Copernicus has been activated at the request of France, It added.
The EU recently helped the US authorities in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey by providing satellite imagery via its Copernicus system.
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Haiyan brought devastation to parts of the Philippines in 2013