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| France steps up Hurricane Irma aid as UK defends response | France steps up Hurricane Irma aid as UK defends response |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has announced he will visit the hurricane-damaged French territories in the Caribbean as the UK government defended its response to the huge storm. | France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has announced he will visit the hurricane-damaged French territories in the Caribbean as the UK government defended its response to the huge storm. |
| Macron said he would visit St Martin and also announced a doubling of military and police forces to bolster security in the region. | Macron said he would visit St Martin and also announced a doubling of military and police forces to bolster security in the region. |
| There have been a number of arrests and witnesses in the French island territory have reported looting and violence in the wake of the storm that left 60% of homes in St Martin uninhabitable, and killed at least 11 people in the French territories of St Martin and St Barthélemy (St Barts). | There have been a number of arrests and witnesses in the French island territory have reported looting and violence in the wake of the storm that left 60% of homes in St Martin uninhabitable, and killed at least 11 people in the French territories of St Martin and St Barthélemy (St Barts). |
| Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands, said the number of military personnel had been doubled on the Dutch side of the island, St Maarten. | Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands, said the number of military personnel had been doubled on the Dutch side of the island, St Maarten. |
| Rutte said that to ensure order, security forces were authorised to act with a “firm hand”. | Rutte said that to ensure order, security forces were authorised to act with a “firm hand”. |
| Dutch authorities were evacuating tourists and the injured to Curaçao, where the Dutch king, Willem-Alexander, and the interior minister, Ronald Plasterk, were expected to arrive on Monday. | |
| The British prime minister, Theresa May, is yet to say if she will visit Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, which were also devastated by the storm. | The British prime minister, Theresa May, is yet to say if she will visit Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, which were also devastated by the storm. |
| The British government has faced criticism by residents and visitors in the area who have described “unbelievable” devastation. The government has been accused of being slow to evacuate people before the storm. | The British government has faced criticism by residents and visitors in the area who have described “unbelievable” devastation. The government has been accused of being slow to evacuate people before the storm. |
| The premier of the British Virgin Islands, Orlando Smith, has called for greater support from the British government after Irma’s destruction left the islands in a “critical” state and killed at least five people. | The premier of the British Virgin Islands, Orlando Smith, has called for greater support from the British government after Irma’s destruction left the islands in a “critical” state and killed at least five people. |
| “We are a resilient people but this has shaken us to our core,” he said. | “We are a resilient people but this has shaken us to our core,” he said. |
| The UK government has defended its response, which the defence secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, told the BBC had been “as good as anybody else’s”. He denied the government was late to react, and said an aid ship had been “prepositioned” in the Caribbean for hurricane season. | The UK government has defended its response, which the defence secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, told the BBC had been “as good as anybody else’s”. He denied the government was late to react, and said an aid ship had been “prepositioned” in the Caribbean for hurricane season. |
| The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, pledged to be there “in the long term” for British people in the Caribbean whose homes were destroyed. | The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, pledged to be there “in the long term” for British people in the Caribbean whose homes were destroyed. |
| Brushing aside criticism, he said there had been an unprecedented relief effort from the UK and that he had “no doubt” Britain would meet the challenges ahead. | |
| Johnson said the government had already set aside £32m following the disaster and would match public donations to the Red Cross appeal. | Johnson said the government had already set aside £32m following the disaster and would match public donations to the Red Cross appeal. |
| Returning from the latest in a series of emergency Cobra meetings, Johnson said: “This is just the beginning. A terrible thing has happened to British overseas territories. These are British people and we are here for the long term and we will come through with a recovery plan working with our partners in the region. We will come through with a recovery plan for those islands and make sure they get back on their feet again.” | Returning from the latest in a series of emergency Cobra meetings, Johnson said: “This is just the beginning. A terrible thing has happened to British overseas territories. These are British people and we are here for the long term and we will come through with a recovery plan working with our partners in the region. We will come through with a recovery plan for those islands and make sure they get back on their feet again.” |
| The hugely destructive Irma crashed through the Caribbean islands over recent days before hitting the US state of Florida. | The hugely destructive Irma crashed through the Caribbean islands over recent days before hitting the US state of Florida. |
| Four people were killed on the US Virgin Islands, and at least one person in the British overseas territory of Anguilla. Three reportedly died in Puerto Rico and one in Barbuda. Tens of thousands of residents and tourists have been evacuated, and there are grave fears about the threat of disease in flooded areas without power, drinking water, or basic infrastructure. | |
| The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda said the islands had been levelled by the storm, with 90% destroyed. | The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda said the islands had been levelled by the storm, with 90% destroyed. |
| Witnesses in Antigua described the scenes as like a “horror movie”. | Witnesses in Antigua described the scenes as like a “horror movie”. |
| “We had 40ft containers flying left and right,” ABS TV Antigua reported. “The story you were getting from most of the residents here is that the eye of the storm came just in time. Persons were literally tying themselves to their roofs with ropes to keep them down.” | “We had 40ft containers flying left and right,” ABS TV Antigua reported. “The story you were getting from most of the residents here is that the eye of the storm came just in time. Persons were literally tying themselves to their roofs with ropes to keep them down.” |
| Havana fared better than expected but the storm surge still inundated two blocks into the city with 11-metre waves crashing over the famous Malecón. Other Cuban regions faced much worse, after Irma made landfall as a category5 storm on Friday, tearing roofs from houses and flooding communities. It was the first category 5 storm to hit Cuba since 1932 but by Sunday tourists in the Varadero area were ready to return to their holiday. | |
| “I think the atmosphere now is relief, knowing it is past and the building is still there and everyone is OK,” 49-year-old British visitor, Josephine Breslin, told Reuters. | “I think the atmosphere now is relief, knowing it is past and the building is still there and everyone is OK,” 49-year-old British visitor, Josephine Breslin, told Reuters. |
| Varadero photographer Osmel de Armas said the area was a “complete disaster and it will take a great deal of work to get Varadero back on its feet”. | Varadero photographer Osmel de Armas said the area was a “complete disaster and it will take a great deal of work to get Varadero back on its feet”. |
| On Friday, more than 24,000 people were evacuated in the Dominican Republic, according to local media. More than 10,000 were in shelters, and 17 communities had been isolated by washed out roads and bridges. | On Friday, more than 24,000 people were evacuated in the Dominican Republic, according to local media. More than 10,000 were in shelters, and 17 communities had been isolated by washed out roads and bridges. |
| On the other side of the island of Hispaniola, the hurricane skirted Haiti’s northern border, sparing the island from mass devastation but still destroying farmland and crops. Less than a year ago, Hurricane Matthew killed more than 540 people and caused US$2.8bn (£2.12bn) of damage. |