Live: Powerful winds lash Florida Keys as Hurricane Irma closes in

Wind gusts have begun pummelling the southern tip of Florida as Hurricane Irma regains category 4 strength just hours before hitting the mainland. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

With maximum winds of 130 mph (210kph), Irma regained category 4 status as it approached the coast of Florida, where it is due to make landfall in the coming hours.
Winds of 74 mph have already begun lashing southern Florida, causing power outages in several areas. Officials have warned that vast swathes of the state could be submerged by surging waters.
Officials in Cuba, which was pummelled by Irma throughout Saturday, have reported "significant damage" but no casualties so far.
The hurricane has left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean, with at least 24 people killed, including ten deaths across the French Caribbean and six in the British Caribbean territories.
Another category 4 hurricane, Jose, looked set to spare those same Caribbean islands as it began to weaken and drift northward.