Cuban fisherman Heneydis Suare, 41, from Carbonera, says his house is now a "wreck". "It's terrible," he says, looking at a small house of boards and thatch that was ripped apart by the wind. He says the only way he, his wife, and two children survived was by sheltering in their neighbour's home.

Four towns, including the historic town of Baracoa, have been cut off from the rest of the island by large rocks hurled onto the roads by the hurricane.

Image source, European Photopress Agency

Image source, European Photopress Agency

Even before Hurricane Matthew touched down, there has been a fatality in South Carolina - a motorist was shot dead by police there on an evacuation route on Wednesday.

The coroner in Berkeley County said the driver, Lucas M. Felkel, was killed after a police chase, that started after he drove through barricades on an evacuation route.

Police said that after pursuing him, he pointed a gun at officers, and was shot. He later died in hospital.

Here are some projections of the effect of a heavy storm surge on the east Florida coast - most estimates say it would be close to 9ft high in places.

This is still some way short of the levels seen during Hurricane Katrina (more than 25ft in places, external), but still potentially destructive.

Weather Channel meteorologist Jonathan Erdman has this warning:

Of course, hurricanes can shift course at any point, but models can give us a pretty good idea where Matthew could be heading in the coming days.

Hurricane Matthew leaves at least 108 dead in Haiti, the interior ministry tells AFP.

Read our latest story here.

Matthew is passing over the Bahamas at the moment, and people on the islands are posting videos of the winds. Some of them are extraordinary.

It is estimated that 350,000 in Haiti need help after the hurricane hit, with the death toll of 27 expected to rise amid concern over an area in the south-west which remains largely cut off. 

Read the full story.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

A category 4 storm means winds have reached 130-156 mph (209-251 km/h) and there will be damage to well-built homes and trees blown over.

This is what the National Weather Service in Melbourne, Florida, are saying is expected:

If, as the National Hurricane Center predicts, Hurricane Matthew will hit Florida as a Category Four storm, it would be the most powerful storm to make landfall in the US since Hurricane Charley in August 2004.

It could also be the strongest storm to ever hit this area, as this University of Miami weather expert points out:

The last Category Three storm to make landfall in the US was Wilma in October 2005. And there remains a chance Matthew could strengthen into a Category Five - the highest possible level. The last Cat 5 to hit the US was Andrew, way back in August 1992.

Florida's Governor Rick Scott hasn't minced his words in the past few hours - he's warning of the possible "catastrophic" effects of Hurricane Matthew on his state, where some 1.5m people have been ordered to leave their homes.

At a press conference earlier on Thursday, he said: "There are no excuses, you need to leave.

"If you're reluctant to evacuate, just think of all the people this storm has already killed. You and your family could be among these numbers if you don't take this seriously."

More than two million people on the US southeast coast are facing urgent evacuation orders, with Florida expected to bear the brunt of the storm. Residents have been warned to brace themselves for damaging winds, heavy rainfall and waves as high as two-storey buildings. 

Image source, Reuters

So what is a storm surge?

Simply put, it's when you already have high tides, but water levels rise even higher due to high winds, and are then pushed towards coastal areas.

Weather officials in the States say parts of Florida near the mouth of the St Johns River near Jacksonville could see a storm surge of some nine feet (2.7 metres). Parts of the Bahamas are reportedly seeing a 15ft surge. 

The team at BBC Weather put together this video a few years ago when the east coast of England saw a storm surge - it does a good job of explaining what it is.

Hello and welcome to all the latest updates about Hurricane Matthew, which has already claimed the lives of 27 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The storm is currently pounding the Bahamas, while Florida residents have been warned to prepare for a "direct hit", with coastal areas ordered to evacuate.