Hurricane Maria: Category five storm hits Caribbean

Summary

The "potentially catastrophic" hurricane remains at category five - the highest level - with winds of up to 260km/h (160mph)
It is moving towards Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
One death has been confirmed in Guadeloupe and two people are reported missing
It made landfall in Dominica, where the prime minister says he is dreading news of possible deaths
Maria is moving roughly along the same track as Irma, this season's other category five hurricane

Live Reporting

Gareth Evans

History changing in Lesser Antillespublished at 03:25 British Summer Time 19 September 2017
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'Do not leave your home at all'published at 03:13 British Summer Time 19 September 2017
So say the authorities in the French territory of Guadeloupe, and have posted this footage of strong winds as Maria approaches.
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PM of Dominica being rescuedpublished at 02:59 British Summer Time 19 September 2017
Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica, has been posting a series of increasingly concerning comments on his Facebook page, external as his home floods.
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'Devastating', 'disturbing' stormpublished at 02:47 British Summer Time 19 September 2017
Even in a hurricane season that has seen violent storms such as Harvey and Irma, weather experts are expressing alarm at the power of Maria in the Caribbean.
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Guadeloupe in urgent alertpublished at 02:44 British Summer Time 19 September 2017
Next in Maria's path over the coming hours is the French territory of Guadeloupe, where about 400,000 people live.
In the last few hours, all residents there were ordered to evacuate under a "violet alert" - the highest possible level.
Orders put out by authorities on the island told residents to "not go outside under any conditions whatsoever".
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Virgin Islands in Maria's pathpublished at 02:30 British Summer Time 19 September 2017
Maria is expected to reach the US and British Virgin Islands on Tuesday night and into Wednesday.
The US-based National Hurricane Center said the British Virgin Islands were at risk of being hit by a dangerous storm surge with destructive waves raising the water level up to 2.7m (9ft).
The islands suffered huge damage only last week when Hurricane Irma hit.
Maria makes landfall on Dominicapublished at 02:21 British Summer Time 19 September 2017
The eyewall of the category five hurricane - the part with the most devastating winds - is passing over the coast of Dominica, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
The authorities there earlier ordered coastal communities to evacuate to shelters. Dominica has a population of 72,000 and lies about half way between Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Live coverage of Hurricane Mariapublished at 02:21 British Summer Time 19 September 2017
We'll be bringing you the latest coverage and footage of Hurricane Maria as it strikes eastern parts of the Caribbean.
It was rapidly upgraded to a category five hurricane - the strongest possible level - in the past few hours.
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