As it happened: Hurricane Matthew

Summary

More than 800 people have been killed in Haiti and four in the Dominican Republic
Matthew is now a Category Two hurricane, as the eye of the storm stays just off Florida coast
Four people have been killed in Florida and more than a million left without power
Flooding could be severe in coastal areas of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina
North Carolina could also be affected as the storm moves north in days ahead

Live Reporting

Yaroslav Lukov, Roland Hughes, Vanessa Barford, David Molloy and David Walker

We're concluding our live page coverage for nowpublished at 05:43
Here's a summary of the latest developments:
In Haiti, more than 800 people were killed earlier this week
- In Haiti, more than 800 people have died
- In the US state of Florida, four deaths have been reported, with more than a million left without power
- Hurricane Matthew is now moving northward just off the coast of Georgia
- Flooding could be severe in coastal areas of Georgia and also South Carolina
- Meteorologists predict the weakening of the storm over the next 48 hours
You can follow all the latest updates on this and other stories on the BBC News website.
Thanks for staying with us!
Storm weakening forecast during next 48 hourspublished at 05:08
Here's the latest update (03:00 GMT) by the National Hurricane Center.
It says the eye of the storm is "continuing northward just off" the coast of Georgia.
"Although weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, Matthew is expected to remain a hurricane while the centre is near the coast," the NHC adds.
Image source, National Hurricane Center
Aid vehicles getting through in Haiti's affected areaspublished at 04:57
Julie Hard, emergency response team leader from the Americares charity, based in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, tells the BBC that most of the major bridges in the affected areas have been "washed out and destroyed by this storm".
"So we're quite content that the water levels have gone down and now some vehicles are getting through and people are beginning to make their way to the areas in Les Cayes and now we're just reaching Jeremie to be able to provide aid," Ms Hard adds.
Devastated Haiti areas still largely cut offpublished at 04:31
In Haiti, some aid has been brought in to the devastated areas.
But aid agencies warn that the region remains largely cut off with access possible only by helicopter or sea.
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
People try to get food at a shelter in Les Cayes, Haiti
Warnings for Georgia and North Carolinapublished at 04:12
In its latest update from 22:00 local time on Friday (02:00 GMT Saturday), the National Hurricane Center warns that "rising water levels expected along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts in the next few hours".
Death toll in Florida reaches fourpublished at 03:49 British Summer Time 8 October 2016
At least four people are now known to have died in Florida, officials say.
Two women were killed by falling trees, and two others died from carbon monoxide fumes while running a generator in their garage.
'Trees bending over' on Tybee Island, Georgia, as storm approachespublished at 02:56
The hurricane is expected to pass near Tybee Island, Georgia, early on Saturday.
Despite a mandatory evacuation ordered on Wednesday, some residents have decided to stay.
One local resident says "trees are bending over" and it is "raining sideways" as the storm approaches, the Associated Press reports.
Image source, Reuters
Hurricane 'well north' of Floridapublished at 02:30
US meteorologist Zachary Maloch says the storm is now "well north" of south-western Florida, and he expects an "amazing weekend".
Image source, Zachary Maloch's tweet
Latest update from National Hurricane Centerpublished at 01:41
The latest update from the National Hurricane Center.
It says that at 20:00 local time on Friday (00:00 GMT Saturday) the eye of the storm was just off the coast of Georgia and north-eastern Florida, about 55 miles (90km) north-east of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and 105 miles south-east of Savannah, Georgia.
The maximum sustained winds were 110mph.
Matthew is moving northward at 12mph.
Image source, National Hurricane Center
Safest place to park car - living roompublished at 01:28
One US family has decided that the safest place for their vehicle was... in the living room...
Curfew in Charleston as hurricane approachespublished at 01:04
In South Carolina, the authorities in the city of Charleston have announced a curfew from midnight to 06:00 local time on Saturday - when the hurricane is expected to hit the coast.
Local officials hope the measure will keep people off the streets and prevent possible looting.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Closed shops on Charleston's historic King Street
No entry east of US Route 1 in parts of Floridapublished at 00:41
Authorities in St Augustine and the barrier islands, Florida, are preventing people from entering the area east of the major road - US Route 1.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
Damage in Florida - photo gallerypublished at 00:34
As Matthew continues to batter Florida's coast, here are some images of the damage the hurricane has already caused in the US state.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Huge waves pound a pier in Jacksonville
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Close shave: A tree falls near a house in Daytona Beach
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Local residents wade through a flooded street in Jacksonville
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
People look at a flooded street from their house in St Augustine
Image source, AP
Image caption,
A boat washed ashore amid storm debris in Melbourne
BBC travels with medical mission to Haiti townpublished at 00:06
The BBC travelled with a medical team to the southern town of Port Salut in Haiti. More than 800 are dead across the nation.
Nick Bryant reports.
Media caption,
Haiti Hurricane Matthew death toll rises to 800
Rainfall totals risepublished at 00:01
As of 18:00 local time, rainfall totals for large parts of east Florida were eight inches (20cm) or higher, the National Weather Service said.
Image source, @NWSEastern
Torn roofs and flooded streetspublished at 23:41
Local TV reporter Brittany Dionne has been wading through the streets of St Augustine, Florida, where she spotted a mobile home with its roof apparently torn off.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
Two dead in USpublished at 23:27
The death toll from Hurricane Matthew in the United States is now at least two.
The Sheriff's Office in Putnam County, Florida, said a woman died when a tree fell on a camper van she was sheltering in. Another male occupant survived with minor injuries.
An earlier death was reported after a woman in her 60s was killed by another falling tree in Volusia County.
Slower winds, but with flooding dangerpublished at 23:16
Matthew is now a Category Two hurricane, the US National Weather Service says - but heavy flooding still presents a danger.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
Police: Hunker downpublished at 23:00 British Summer Time 7 October 2016
Jacksonville's Sheriff's Office urged residents to stay home while posting images of collapsing power lines and falling trees along the roads.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 2
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 2
Storm surge pummels Florida coastlinepublished at 21:49 British Summer Time 7 October 2016
Matthew ripped away roofs and toppled trees while a storm surge brought massive flooding in places like St. Augustine and Cocoa Beach.
Some residents were trapped inside their homes due to the rising water.
Image source, AP
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, AP
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images