Hurricane Matthew: Strongest storm since 2004 nears Florida
Hurricane Matthew: Heavy rains and winds in Florida
(about 9 hours later)
Hurricane Matthew has strengthened as it moves slowly towards Florida, and is set to be the strongest storm in the US for 12 years.
Heavy rains and winds caused by Hurricane Matthew have hit Florida, where thousands of people are without power, officials say.
With winds of 125mph (205km/h), it is expected to hit Florida early on Friday as a Category Four storm.
Matthew has been downgraded to a Category Three storm, with winds of up to 195 km/h (120 mph).
At 20:00 local time (01:00 GMT), it was 75 miles offshore of West Palm Beach.
The storm could be the most powerful to strike northeast Florida in 118 years, the US National Hurricane Center said.
The hurricane has pounded the Bahamas after devastating parts of Haiti, where at least 264 people have been killed and thousands displaced.
In Haiti, where Matthew devastated coastal villages and towns, the death toll has surpassed 300.
Four people were also killed in the neighbouring Dominican Republic.
At 04:00 local time (08:00 GMT) Matthew was still off the Florida coast, centred about 45 miles (70km) east of Melbourne and was moving north-west at about 14mph (22km/h), the National Hurricane Center said.
Damage could be "catastrophic", Florida's governor said. More than two million people have evacuated in the US.
Florida Governor Rick Scott there could be "catastrophic" damage if Matthew slammed directly into the state. He urged some 1.5 million people there to evacuate.
Follow our latest updates here
As of 20:00 GMT, the storm was passing over the far west of the Bahamas, having battered the capital, Nassau. All air and sea traffic has been halted and people urged to move to higher ground because of storm surges.
The latest from Florida
Hurricane Matthew has been upgraded into a Category Four storm, the second-highest classification.
It is expected "move very close" to the east coast of the Florida peninsula in the next twelve hours, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
States of emergency have already been declared in four southern states, allowing the National Guard to be deployed. On Thursday afternoon, President Obama declared a state of emergency for Florida and South Carolina, allowing federal emergency teams to be sent.
Matthew could be the first Category Four storm to make landfall in the United States since Charley in August 2004, that caused $14bn (£11bn) in southern states.
"There are no excuses, you need to leave," Florida Governor Rick Scott warned everyone in evacuation zones.
"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."
"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."
"Everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit," Governor Scott told reporters.
More than 140,000 homes were without power, he added.
"If Matthew directly impacts Florida, the destruction could be catastrophic and you need to be prepared."
States of emergency were declared in four southern states, allowing the National Guard to be deployed. On Thursday afternoon, President Obama declared a state of emergency for Florida and South Carolina, allowing federal emergency teams to be sent.
Some two million people have been advised to evacuate across coastal areas of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. North Carolina could also be affected as the storm moves north.
Some two million people have been advised to evacuate across coastal areas of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. North Carolina could also be affected as the storm moves north.
The NHC warned that coastal waters in parts of Florida could rise by up to 11 feet (3.35 metres) because of a storm surge - when ocean surface water rises as a result of high winds, and is pushed on to coastal areas.
Florida's history of hurricanes
Florida's history of hurricanes
In many areas, cars queued for fuel and residents stocked up on food and hardware supplies to board up their houses, local reports said.
In many areas on Thursday, cars queued for fuel and residents stocked up on food and hardware supplies to board up their houses, local reports said.
Schools, universities and government offices in some areas are closed. About 90% of flights coming through Miami's airports were cancelled by mid-morning, airport officials said, with other airports also affected.
Schools, universities and government offices in some areas were closed.
In South Carolina, lanes on some highways have been reversed so vehicles can head west away from the storm.
In South Carolina, lanes on some highways were reversed so vehicles could head west away from the storm.
The latest from Haiti
In Haiti, meanwhile, rescue workers are struggling to reach areas cut off by the storm.
Officials said they were not yet in a position to gauge the true extent of the damage - particularly in the Grand Anse area, which was directly in the storm's path.
A key bridge had been destroyed, roads were impassable and phone communications were down, officials said.
Mourad Wahba, the UN special representative for Haiti, said at least 10,000 people were in shelters and hospitals were overflowing.
At the scene: Tony Brown, BBC News, Haiti
We only began to see the real destructive force of Hurricane Matthew once we moved towards the south-west of the country.
Trees fallen, banana crops uprooted and flattened, houses under water and men and women trying to get the debris out of the way.
It was noticeable how the people we passed were coping alone. There were no army or police around to help. Even the aid agencies are struggling to move around this damaged corner of the country.
Read more
"It's not looking good," said Jean Claude Fignole, programme director in Haiti for the aid agency Oxfam.
"We're getting reports out of the southwest of Haiti... reports of schools that have been completely destroyed, many homes that have been destroyed."
Matthew is the region's most powerful hurricane since Felix in 2007.
Have you been affected by Hurricane Matthew? Are you preparing for its arrival in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina? Only if it safe to do so, you can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Have you been affected by Hurricane Matthew? Are you preparing for its arrival in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina? Only if it safe to do so, you can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. Please stay safe. You can also contact us in the following ways:
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. Please stay safe. You can also contact us in the following ways:
