UK Foreign office minister Alan Duncan has updated the House of Commons on the government’s response to Hurricane Irma.

He said: "The Royal Navy ship Mounts Bay is already in the Caribbean and should reach the affected territories later today. The ship carries royal marines and army engineers and her primary task is the protection of our overseas territories."

He added: "The Department for International Development stands ready to charter flights to deliver additional supplies as appropriate."

Earlier today, the Dutch Ministry of Defence said two military aircraft will fly to the Caribbean with supplies and water.

The head of the US emergency agency says Hurricane Irma will be "devastating" when it hits the southern coastal areas of the country.

Brock Long, chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said: "The majority of people along the coast have never experienced a major hurricane like this. It will be truly devastating".

Hurricane Irma is forecast to hit southern Florida on Saturday.

Sir Richard Branson's son, Sam Branson, has posted a video of the scene in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands.

Writing on Instagram, he said: "Most buildings completely destroyed. Many left homeless. Beyond tragic."

Hurricane Irma is sitting just north of the Dominican Republic right now and is heading westward, with many small islands to pass over before it reaches Cuba, the Bahamas and then the US.

You can see satellite and infrared images of the storm here.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

As Hurricane Irma moves towards the Turks and Caicos Islands, the director of the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies says contingency plans are in place.

Dr Virginia Clerveaux told the World at One: "We have done a full activation of our command centre".

"We're comfortable that we have sufficient shelters for those in need", she added.

Dr Steven Godby, an expert in disaster management at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, says Irma could be the worst storm to hit Florida in a quarter of a century.

He said: “South Florida has not experienced a storm as powerful as Irma for 25 years, when Hurricane Andrew tracked east to west across the state killing 65 people and destroying 25,000 homes. Population and assets have grown significantly in South Florida since then, which puts more people and property at risk.

"The potential for a catastrophic storm surge along the highly developed east coast of Florida is a major concern, with widespread destruction and loss of life among those choosing not to evacuate.”

If you're just joining us, here's an update.

Much of the Caribbean is waking up to scenes of devastation caused by Hurricane Irma. The small island of Barbuda is said to be "barely habitable" and officials say Saint Martin is almost destroyed.

At least 10 people have been killed by the hurricane, which is the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade, and officials say the death toll is likely to rise.

The hurricane is currently sitting north of the Dominican Republic, heading towards Turks and Caicos. On Saturday it is expected to hit south Florida.

Many of the islands are low-lying and at risk of more devastation from storm surges of up to 20ft (six metres).

This aerial footage is well worth watching - it shows the extent of the damage on the Dutch part of St Martin.

It's less than a year since a hurricane killed hundreds of people in Haiti.

In October 2016, more than 800 people died when Hurricane Matthew hit the southern part of the country.

Hurricane Irma is heading for the north coast, not the south - but for an impoverished country like Haiti it will be difficult to recover.

Last year we looked at the differences in preparedness between Haiti and Florida. They show up the stark difference in wealth between the two places.

The US state benefited from better infrastructure and a better response from the government. Then, as now, Florida people stocked up on bottled water, petrol and food, and boarded their houses up before leaving. But in Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, it was difficult for people in rural areas to leave, emergency rescue teams struggled to reach the hardest hit areas and 80% of one city was destroyed.

Image source, Reuters

France's weather service says Hurricane Irma is the longest-lasting, top-intensity cyclone, ever recorded.

It has produced sustained winds of 295km/h (183mph) for more than 33 hours - a record not observed since the satellite era began in the early 1970s.

Save the Children have warned that there is not enough space in emergency shelters in the Dominican Republic to house evacuees fleeing the hurricane.

Designated shelters only have space for 900,000 people, the charity says, while up to 3 million people could be affected - so churches, schools and community centres will be asked to open their doors.

Image source, AFP

In Florida, where Hurricane Irma is expected to hit on Saturday, people are rushing to fill up with petrol in preparation.

A CNN correspondent has posted this video of queues in Miami.

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte says there have been no reports of any deaths in the Dutch part of St Martin island.

He added that there had been no reports of deaths on the Dutch islands of St Eustatius and Saba so far.

The hurricane has caused at least 10 deaths, and six of those reported so far were on the French part of St Martin.

Image source, Getty Images

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has called a meeting of the government's emergency committee, Cobra, after discussing Hurricane Irma with French President Emmanuel Macron and pledging to work with him and the Dutch government to co-ordinate relief.

The British overseas territories Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands have been affected by hurricane damage and floods.

The UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK is acting swiftly, with staff and a ship ready, but some islanders have criticised the UK for an "inadequate" response.

The Federal Aviation Authority has published a guide to the airports closed across the Caribbean. They are:

Haiti

Cap-Haïtien International Airport

The Bahamas

Great Harbour Cay Airport

New Bight Airport

Colonel Hill Airport

Stella Maris Airport

Mayaguana Airport

New Port Nelson Airport

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Robert L Bradshaw International Airport

Sint Maarten

Princess Juliana International Airport

The airports are expected to re-open on Saturday, although some, including Princess Juliana, will re-open tomorrow.

These airports being closed presents an obstacle to getting aid to the islands.

The National Hurricane Center has posted what it says are the key messages people should know about Storm Irma.

They say the threat of the "potentially catastrophic" hurricane impacting Florida over the weekend is increasing, and hurricane watches will probably be issued for "parts of" the state today.

They forecast tropical storm force winds will arrive in south Florida and the Keys on Saturday.

This person has plenty of tips for anyone preparing for the hurricane.

Take photos of your family's IDs, social security numbers, medical insurance cards and driving licences in case they get lost, she says, and make sure your kids know your phone number off by heart.

A government official tells the BBC that at least one person has died on the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla.

The total number of confirmed deaths across the Caribbean now stands at 10.

BBC World Service

The mayor of the capital, San Juan, describes the atmosphere on Puerto Rico as Hurricane Irma makes its way across the Caribbean.

Carmen Yulin Cruz calls for residents to ensure they have medical supplies, shelter and cash to take them through the aftermath.

The Red Cross has described the total devastation caused by Hurricane Irma on the island of Barbuda.

Speaking from Antigua, the president of the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross, Michael Joseph, told the BBC: "It's electricity, it's roads, it's water, it's schools, it's churches, it's supermarkets, shops, everything. There is literally nothing that currently exists in Barbuda right now."

Dutch home affairs minister Ronald Plasterk says two ships with emergency aid are off the coast of Sint-Maarten but can't dock.

A plane with supplies and water for 40,000 people is also on the way.

Sint-Maarten has an area of 34 sq km (13 sq mi).