Hurricane Irma blasts Florida coast

Hurricane Irma is blasting up the west coast of Florida after buffeting the city of Miami, with dangerous flooding along long stretches of coast.

It has been downgraded from category three to one but still has maximum sustained winds of 85mph (137km/h).

More than 3.4 million homes in the state are without power, with parts of the city of Miami are under water.

Three storm-related deaths have been reported and several areas have brought in curfews.

Irma cut a devastating track across 10 Caribbean countries and territories, killing at least 28 people there.

President Donald Trump has approved a major disaster declaration and emergency federal aid for Florida, describing the hurricane as a "big monster".

Where is the storm now?

At 06:00 GMT, the centre of the hurricane was about 25 miles (40km) north-east of Tampa, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Some 3m people live in the Tampa Bay area. The region has not been hit by a major hurricane since 1921.

Irma is expected to weaken into a tropical storm over far northern Florida or southern Georgia later on Monday but first its centre will continue to move over the western Florida peninsula, the NHC said.A vehicle passes downed palm trees in MiamiThese Tampa residents were out taking photos on Sunday as the storm strengthenedStorm surge warnings are in effect for:

• The South Santee river southward to Jupiter Inlet

• North Miami Beach southward around the Florida peninsula to the Ochlockonee river

• The Florida Keys

• Tampa Bay
• Source:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41222053