World

Hurricane Michael: Category four storm lashes Florida coast

October 10, 2018 4:04 pm

Hurricane Michael – a category four storm with winds reaching 155mph (250km/h) – has made landfall in Florida’s north-west Panhandle region.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the eye of the storm touched land near Mexico Beach, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon.

Hundreds of thousands were told to evacuate but many have not fled.

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Florida Governor Rick Scott warned of “unimaginable devastation”, saying it would be the worst storm in 100 years.

At least 13 people reportedly died in Central America over the weekend as a result of storm rains and floods.

According to the Associated Press, six people were killed in Honduras, four in Nicaragua and three in El Salvador.

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Michael is expected to move quickly up the US East Coast, dumping rains on regions that are already saturated from Hurricane Florence last month.

In their latest advisory, the National Hurricane Center warned coastal residents “not to venture out into the relative calm of the eye, as hazardous winds will increase very quickly as the eye passes”.