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Two further storms threaten to wreak devastation just as the deadly Hurricane Irma bears down on the US coast.
Three hurricanes are swirling around the Atlantic Basin for the first time in seven years, experts say.
Category 5 storm Irma has already killed at least 14 people as it barrels its way across the Caribbean. Florida mayor Philip Levine has issued an alert saying: “This is a nuclear hurricane.”
But another, Jose, was given category 3 hurricane status on Thursday evening, and is set to slam into many of the islands flattened by Irma as it charts the same westbound course through the basin about 1,000 miles behind its sister storm.
With winds of up to 120 mph it could inflict further damage on areas such as Antigua and Barbuda while they try to rebuild after the catastrophic damage caused by Irma.
And off the coast of Mexico, Hurricane Katia has also sparked alerts for heavy rainfall that could cause life-threatening flash-floods and mudslides. It is set to make landfall in Mexico on Saturday.
Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach said it was the first time since 2010 that three major storms swirled around the Atlantic at the same time.
He said: “Currently have 3 hurricanes w/ 2 major hurricanes in Atlantic – 4th time on record we’ve had 3 hurricanes w/ 2 majors at same time”
French, British and Dutch military authorities have raced to Caribbean islands to provide support to their territories while Irma continues its destructive path to Florida.
The storm is set to make landfall in the US on Saturday after journeying past eastern Cuba today.
Hurricane Irma – In pictures
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
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HMS Ocean, as a military task group, is on its way on HMS Ocean with several hundred UK troops to offer assistance to those affected by Hurricane Irma as the storm continues to lay waste to swathes of the Caribbean, including British overseas territories
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A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti
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the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten
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Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees
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Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Damage from Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport
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Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean
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sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean
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Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport
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damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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Destroyed palm trees, outside the “Mercure” hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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Damaged vehicles are seen following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin
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A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin
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Ships wrecked ashore, in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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Damage outside “Le flamboyant” hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
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Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin
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More damage in Saint Martin
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
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Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida
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Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands
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A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean
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Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
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Damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
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Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
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Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
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iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
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Barbuda
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Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
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A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy
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Saint Martin
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Barbuda
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Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
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Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy
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People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
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Barbuda
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A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island
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Barbuda
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Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico
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The destruction at Sir Richard Branson’s island of Necker
Sir Richard Branson
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Saint Martin
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A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John’s
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Florida residents fleeing from the expected path of Irma
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Cars left flooded in Saint Martin
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Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding
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Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin
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Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin
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Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin
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Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin
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Saint Martin
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Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma
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A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image
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A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma
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Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe’s in Jacksonville, Florida
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Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma
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Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami
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Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma
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Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
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Cars wait in line at a petrol station in North Miami as people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma
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People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin
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Residents and municipal employees work together to fill sandbags at Bartlett Park as residents in the area gather supplies and prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma in St. Petersburg, Florida
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A shelf normally containing packaged water is empty at a Piggly Wiggly store in Panama City, Florida
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People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches
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A thermal image of Harricane Irma
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Men in Puerto Rico board up their homes as Hurricane Irma heads for Caribbean
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Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose
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Forecasters warn that Irma could slam headlong into the Miami metropolitan area of six million people, punish the entire length of the state’s Atlantic coast and move into Georgia and South Carolina.
More than a half-million people in Miami-Dade County were ordered to leave as Irma closed in with winds of 165 mph.
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