Tropical storm Idalia is crossing into Georgia, bringing powerful winds and potentially life-threatening conditions
President Joe Biden warns Idalia, which hit Florida as a Category 3 hurricane, is "still very dangerous"
More than 440,000 people are without power in Florida and Georgia
There are no confirmed fatalities from the storm – however Florida Highway Patrol has reported the deaths of two drivers in crashes caused by rainy conditions
Some areas of Florida have been flooded, and the National Hurricane Center warns storm surge still threatens coastal areas
The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says Idalia is the strongest storm to hit this part of Florida in more than 100 years
You can watch live pictures from around Florida by clicking the play button at the top of this page
As you can see from the graphics below, the area most likely to be affected by the storm surge is north-west of Tampa, including the Big Bend region.
Hurricane Idalia is forecast to weaken into a tropical storm as it travels north-east and then east over the coming hours, passing over the south of Georgia and South Carolina, and out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Some people in the Big Bend region of Florida are ignoring the warnings and still holding out in their homes.
Our correspondent John Sudworth, reporting from Tampa, Florida, says that in the hours ahead of the storm, authorities were increasingly desperate in their calls to people to listen and leave, telling them if they couldn't stay with friends and relatives, they should head for emergency shelters.
However, John Paul Nohelj, a resident of the town of Steinhatchee, told reporters "I ain't going nowhere. If you live near water, you’re going to get a wet butt once in a while and that’s just the way it us.”
On Tuesday evening, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said: "If you stay hunkered down tonight, it's going to be too nasty tomorrow morning to be able to do it."
"If you do choose to stay in one of the evacuation zones, first responders will not be able to get you until after the storm has passed."
Image source, AFPJohn Paul Nohelj in the town of Steinhatchee says "I ain't going nowhere"
Access has been restricted to Treasure Island in Pinellas County, Florida, as the storm surge continues to batter the city in Pinellas County, officials tweeted, external.
"There is NO re-entry until further notice even if you have proper ID or re-entry permits," they said, adding that flooding is forecast to continue throughout the day.
Bridges are closed and residents are advised to shelter, and not to wade through waters which could have "live power lines, sewage, wildlife and dangerous objects".
Image source, Twitter/Treasure Island, FL
Image source, ReutersOver 169,000 people are without power in Florida, according to statistics from PowerOutage.US.
The website, which tracks power outages across the country, shows most of the power outages are centred in Florida's Big Bend area.
The state's Wakulla County, for example, has about 12,000 people without power.
Wakulla is followed by Taylor County with about 10,000 outages and nearby Dixie County with 7,000.
In all three counties, the outages account for a vast majority of all power customers.
Earlier, Florida officials said that 30,000 linemen were at the ready to help restore power to affected areas in the wake of the storm.
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Mike Wendling
Reporting from Tampa
Image source, ReutersA traffic cam captured this image of the flooded I-275 highway in Tampa
People up and down the west coast of Florida are waking up after a night of steady, intense wind and rain.
The storm is starting to taper off just a little here in Tampa, though the trees still bend due to strong gusts, and we're hearing reports of power outages. Some streets and highways in the area have been flooded.
And there’s still the possibility of a storm surge along the coast later in the afternoon. That could inundate the low-lying areas around Tampa Bay with more water.
There’s even more danger ahead further north, however, where the eye of this powerful storm has just made landfall.
According to the National Weather Service, Idalia's landfall took place near the town of Keaton Beach, in Florida's Big Bend area, at around 0745 local time (1245 BST).
The service warned that Idalia - now a Category 3 storm - has struck with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125 mph (201 kph).
The National Hurricane Center's guidelines say that Category 3 storms are likely to cause "devastating" damage, including structural damage to homes, uprooted trees and blocked roads.
Earlier, officials and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents of the impacted areas to shelter in place and take particular care of downed power lines as the response effort unfolds.
We're starting to get some new images from Florida, taken as Idalia approached the Big Bend, where it has just made landfall.
Image source, Getty ImagesReporters wading through a flooded street in Tarpon Springs, a town in Florida's Big Bend region
Image source, Getty ImagesSmoke rising from a fire in flooded Tarpon Springs
Image source, Getty ImagesCars on a flooded street in St Petersburg, Florida
Image source, Getty ImagesResidents of affected areas have been told to shelter in place and avoid roads as much as possible
Hurricane Idalia has made landfall in the Florida Big Bend, the National Hurricane Center says.
It describes the storm as "extremely dangerous" and says "catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds ongoing".
In the US, hurricanes are categorised by the "Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale", which includes fives separate categories based on a storm's sustained wind speeds.
A category 4 hurricane - which Idalia was for a couple of hours - means sustained wind speeds of between 130 and 156mph (209 - 251km/h).
The National Hurricane Center warns that category 4 storms will cause "catastrophic" damage and come with considerable risk that structures will lose their roofs and potentially exterior walls. Trees and power lines will also come down and power outages are likely.
"Most of the area [after a Category 4] will be uninhabitable for weeks or months," the guidelines state.
Previous category 4 storms have included 2021's Hurricane Idea and 2017's Hurricane Harvey, which left a swathe of destruction in Florida and Louisiana.
A category 3 storm means wind speeds of 111 to 129mph (207km/h), with "devastating" damage that may make water and electricity unavailable for weeks or days.
In the last hour, we've heard that Idalia now has category 3 wind speeds, rather than category 4.
Category 5 storms are extremely rare, and mean wind speeds of over 159mph (255km/h), in which a "high percentage of framed homes" are likely to be destroyed. To date, there are 39 Category 5 storms on record, including 2017's Irma and 1992's Andrew.
Idalia is predicted to strike the vulnerable coastal area of Big Bend, which hasn't seen a major storm since Hurricane Easy in 1950, the National Hurricane Center said.
Big Bend sits roughly where the north-south portion of the state's peninsula bends toward the east-west portion of the Panhandle, curving along the Apalachee Bay.
Described as Florida's nature coast, Big Bend is where people hunt alligators, fish for tarpon and search for scallops. More than one million acres (465,000 hectares) of unspoiled land stretches across counties in the region.
The unique shape of the Big Bend coastline would see Idalia "bring some pretty massive storm surges,” according to atmospheric scientist Kristen Corbosiero.
“The water can get piled up in that bay. And then the winds of the storm come around, they go around counter-clockwise, that’s going the same direction, the same shape of the bay so that water can just get pushed in there.”
Winds have eased slightly to 125 mph (201kmph), according to the National Hurricane Center, meaning it would now be classed as a major Category 3 hurricane.
The hurricane has been a category 4 hurricane for the past couple of hours, and a potentially catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds are still expected.
It is expected to make landfall in Florida's Big Bend region within the next half hour.
Image source, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office / ReutersThis street in St Pete Beach, Florida, is already flooded as Hurricane Idalia approaches
We've just heard from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and several other officials involved in the state's response to Hurricane Idalia.
Here's what we know.
DeSantis notes that last year's Category 4 Hurricane Ian, which killed almost 150 people, took a particularly destructive path and had "massive, massive, impacts".
When asked if Florida caught a break with this storm's path, he says this hurricane is bad for those in its path but "with any hurricane you want it to impact as few people as possible".
And with that, the press briefing is over.
DeSantis says the storm's "full landfall" is expected imminently, most likely around 0800 local time (1300 BST).
"Don't do anything that will put you in jeopardy," he said.
Asked by reporters whether the state is ready, DeSantis said that local officials mobilised quickly and have been clear with residents about the impending danger.
"We are here and we're ready," he said.
We're now hearing from Leon County Commissioner Christian Caban, who says Leon County residents should expect dangerous conditions with a lasting impact on surrounding communities.
He advises everyone to shelter in place until the storm passes, noting that many roads will be blocked by trees or flooding.
"Please do not use them unless it is safe or in an emergency," he says, adding that "our team will be working around the clock to restore normalcy to our community"..
US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Doug Schofield says that the "response phase" after Idalia will "be one of the most dangerous" for emergency personnel and residents alike.
He, like DeSantis, warned that downed power lines and surging waters will likely present the most risk to Floridians.
"We are fully equipped for this challenge and ready to save lives," he said.
Schofield warned residents who don't need assistance to shelter in place and allow "first responders to do their job safely".
US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Doug Schofield is up. He says the coast guard is standing watch to support the state and their highest priority is saving lives.
The coast guard has prepositioned aircraft in Miami and West Palm Beach and they'll be first to respond to the storm, he says.
He says the coast guard carried out flights yesterday to familiarise themselves with the landscape of the Big Bend region.
"We are ready to launch aircraft for urgent maritime rescue," he adds.
We're now hearing from Major General John Haas, the adjutant general of Florida, who says Florida's National Guard is "fully mobilised".
Haas, who is Governor DeSantis' senior military adviser, said that the guard expects to be "actively engaged in a variety of missions" throughout the day, including search and rescue, and damage assessment.
A total of 2,400 vehicles have been mobilised for the effort, along with 14 fixed-wing aircraft and 23 watercraft for search and rescue, he says.
Guthrie says emergency teams have already started responding to issues in south-west Florida.
"We are here, we are ready, and we will deploy recovery teams as fast as we can. We will do whatever it takes to help our communities recover," he says.