Hurricane Matthew: UK flights cancelled as storm lashes Florida leaving 300 dead

Fiona Simpson7 October 2016

Flights between the UK and Florida have been cancelled and delayed as Hurricane Matthew lashed the Sunshine State – claiming the lives of almost 300 people across the Carribean.

Britons in areas whipped by the most powerful storm in more than a decade have been urged to “call friends and family members before and after the hurricane”.

The UK Foreign Office is urging holidaymakers in the area to pay close attention to weather reports and follow the advice of the local authorities.

Flights to popular holiday destination Orlando have been affected, while millions of people have been forced to flee their homes along the south-east coast of America.

Officials have branded the storm a “monster”.

Governor Rick Scott said: “I’m going to pray for everybody’s safety”.

President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

A Virgin Atlantic flight to Orlando from Manchester due to take off this afternoon has been cancelled.

On its website, the airline is warning passengers of overnight delays affecting a number of flights today and tomorrow from Manchester, Glasgow and Gatwick.

AP

The airline is telling people to check the status of their flight before going to the airport, while passengers delayed away from home are asked to remain at their hotels where possible.

Thomas Cook Airlines has delayed Glasgow and Manchester flights to and from Orlando today by 24 hours due to the weather.

The airline is also telling passengers that there may be congestion at the airport in Orlando with "many flights currently being rescheduled by other airlines at this time".

Cite-Soleil in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
REUTERS

In a note on its website, Orlando International Airport said flight activity was expected to stop at 8pm local time on Thursday, adding that flights were expected to resume tomorrow.

In updated travel advice, the Foreign Office said: "Hurricane Matthew is forecast to bring hazardous sea and weather conditions to parts of the east coast of the US from 6 October 2016.

“Strong winds, heavy rain, flooding, and storm surge in coastal areas is expected.

"Sporadic tornadoes are possible. Hurricane warnings and watches have been issued, triggering evacuation orders in several areas of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

"You should monitor weather reports and follow the advice of the local authorities, including if you're ordered to evacuate.

"If you're in an affected area, you should call family members and friends in the UK to let them know your plans before and after the hurricane."

Hurricane Matthew hits Haiti

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The hurricane was expected to blow ashore early this morning north of West Palm Beach, and then slowly push north for the next 12 hours along the Interstate 95 corridor, through Cape Canaveral and Jacksonville, according to the National Hurricane Centre.

Forecasters said it would then probably hug the coast of Georgia and South Carolina over the weekend before veering out to sea - possibly looping back towards Florida in the middle of next week as a tropical storm.

The last Category 3 storm or higher to hit the US was Wilma in October 2005. It sliced across Florida with 120 mph winds, killing five people and causing an estimated 21 billion dollars in damage.

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