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| Hurricane Maria hits Virgin Islands and bears down on Puerto Rico | Hurricane Maria hits Virgin Islands and bears down on Puerto Rico |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hurricane Maria is edging towards Puerto Rico as the devastating storm continues its north-westerly path across the Caribbean. | Hurricane Maria is edging towards Puerto Rico as the devastating storm continues its north-westerly path across the Caribbean. |
| The eye wall of the storm has now reached the outlying island of Vieques, the US National Hurricane Center says. | The eye wall of the storm has now reached the outlying island of Vieques, the US National Hurricane Center says. |
| The hurricane earlier hit St Croix in the US Virgin Islands. | |
| Dominica was badly hit on Monday night and aerial footage shows flattened houses. Details are scant as communications are down. | Dominica was badly hit on Monday night and aerial footage shows flattened houses. Details are scant as communications are down. |
| The storm has now been downgraded from category five to category four by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). | |
| It lies 50 miles (75km) southeast of Puerto Rico's main city, San Juan, the NHC says, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 km/h). | |
| Maria was similarly downgraded on Tuesday only to be upgraded again to category five. | |
| The storm began moving roughly along the same track as Irma, this season's other category five hurricane. | The storm began moving roughly along the same track as Irma, this season's other category five hurricane. |
| The governor of Puerto Rico, a US territory, has told the island's 3.5 million people to seek shelter with the hurricane poised to make landfall within the next few hours. | The governor of Puerto Rico, a US territory, has told the island's 3.5 million people to seek shelter with the hurricane poised to make landfall within the next few hours. |
| Officials in Puerto Rico fear the debris left by Irma earlier this month could now prove extremely dangerous in the winds of Maria. | Officials in Puerto Rico fear the debris left by Irma earlier this month could now prove extremely dangerous in the winds of Maria. |
| There are also concerns that heavy rain could cause landslides in some places, and that a predicted storm surge of up to 9 feet (2.7m) could swamp low-lying areas. | There are also concerns that heavy rain could cause landslides in some places, and that a predicted storm surge of up to 9 feet (2.7m) could swamp low-lying areas. |
| Puerto Rico has been a haven for people fleeing other storm-ravaged Caribbean islands in recent weeks. | Puerto Rico has been a haven for people fleeing other storm-ravaged Caribbean islands in recent weeks. |
| Hundreds of shelters have been set up by the authorities. | Hundreds of shelters have been set up by the authorities. |
| What do we know of the damage on Dominica? | What do we know of the damage on Dominica? |
| The first aerial footage of the island confirms "significant damage", Ronald Jackson of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency says. | The first aerial footage of the island confirms "significant damage", Ronald Jackson of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency says. |
| It shows flattened buildings, rivers which have burst their banks and a flooded runway. | It shows flattened buildings, rivers which have burst their banks and a flooded runway. |
| Dominica has been virtually cut off with telecommunications severed, but local amateur radio operators say more than 90% of properties have been damaged. | Dominica has been virtually cut off with telecommunications severed, but local amateur radio operators say more than 90% of properties have been damaged. |
| The former British colony, which has a population of 72,000 and is less than 50km long and 25km wide, escaped Hurricane Irma two weeks ago. | The former British colony, which has a population of 72,000 and is less than 50km long and 25km wide, escaped Hurricane Irma two weeks ago. |
| But on Monday the eye of the new category five storm passed directly over. | But on Monday the eye of the new category five storm passed directly over. |
| The last communication from the island was from Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit just as the storm struck late on Monday, when he said in a Facebook post that the winds had swept away the roofs of "almost every person I have spoken to or otherwise made contact with." | The last communication from the island was from Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit just as the storm struck late on Monday, when he said in a Facebook post that the winds had swept away the roofs of "almost every person I have spoken to or otherwise made contact with." |
| Where else has Maria passed? | Where else has Maria passed? |
| The storm arrived at 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT) in St Croix, where roughly half the US Virgin Islands' residents live. | The storm arrived at 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT) in St Croix, where roughly half the US Virgin Islands' residents live. |
| On Monday, the French territory of Martinique was hit by power cuts but escaped serious damage. | On Monday, the French territory of Martinique was hit by power cuts but escaped serious damage. |
| There was flooding in the French territory of Guadeloupe, where one person was killed by a falling tree. At least two others were missing after their ship sank near Desirade, the easternmost island in the archipelago. | There was flooding in the French territory of Guadeloupe, where one person was killed by a falling tree. At least two others were missing after their ship sank near Desirade, the easternmost island in the archipelago. |
| About 80,000 homes lost power in Gaudeloupe. | About 80,000 homes lost power in Gaudeloupe. |
| There are reports of flooding, mudslides and power outages in parts of St Lucia. | There are reports of flooding, mudslides and power outages in parts of St Lucia. |
| Where next? | Where next? |
| A storm surge - rising seawater coming in from the coast - was expected to bring "life-threatening" swells of up to 9ft (2.7m) above ground in the US and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, National Hurricane Center forecasters in the US said. | A storm surge - rising seawater coming in from the coast - was expected to bring "life-threatening" swells of up to 9ft (2.7m) above ground in the US and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, National Hurricane Center forecasters in the US said. |
| Heavy rainfall of around 25in (63cm) was expected near Puerto Rico and up to 20in in the US and British Virgin Islands. | Heavy rainfall of around 25in (63cm) was expected near Puerto Rico and up to 20in in the US and British Virgin Islands. |
| Puerto Rico's public safety commissioner, Hector Pesquera, issued a stern warning to island residents. | Puerto Rico's public safety commissioner, Hector Pesquera, issued a stern warning to island residents. |
| "You have to evacuate. Otherwise, you're going to die," he said. "I don't know how to make this any clearer." | "You have to evacuate. Otherwise, you're going to die," he said. "I don't know how to make this any clearer." |
| Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello warned the storm could be "devastating and catastrophic", adding that he expected to lose a lot of infrastructure. | Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello warned the storm could be "devastating and catastrophic", adding that he expected to lose a lot of infrastructure. |
| UK territories prepare for worst | UK territories prepare for worst |
| How did Maria gather strength so fast? | How did Maria gather strength so fast? |
| Maria jumped from a category three to a top-strength category five within just a few hours on Monday, which was a shock for people in Dominica. | Maria jumped from a category three to a top-strength category five within just a few hours on Monday, which was a shock for people in Dominica. |
| A factor in its rapid development is that local sea surface temperatures are currently anomalously high by a margin of around one to two degrees, says BBC weather forecaster Steve Cleaton. | A factor in its rapid development is that local sea surface temperatures are currently anomalously high by a margin of around one to two degrees, says BBC weather forecaster Steve Cleaton. |
| The elevated sea surface temperature will have contributed to the rapid development of this system, in concert with other very favourable atmospheric conditions within the locale such as low wind shear, our meteorologist adds. | The elevated sea surface temperature will have contributed to the rapid development of this system, in concert with other very favourable atmospheric conditions within the locale such as low wind shear, our meteorologist adds. |
| Will Irma relief work be affected? | Will Irma relief work be affected? |
| Some islands in Maria's path escaped the worst of Hurricane Irma and have been used as bases to distribute relief to places that were not so fortunate. | Some islands in Maria's path escaped the worst of Hurricane Irma and have been used as bases to distribute relief to places that were not so fortunate. |
| Now there are concerns that this work could be jeopardised if they are badly hit, too. | Now there are concerns that this work could be jeopardised if they are badly hit, too. |
| Guadeloupe has been a bridgehead for aid going to Irma-hit French territories, while Puerto Rico has also been offering crucial assistance to its neighbours. | Guadeloupe has been a bridgehead for aid going to Irma-hit French territories, while Puerto Rico has also been offering crucial assistance to its neighbours. |
| Overseas forces mobilise | Overseas forces mobilise |
| Britain, France, the US and the Netherlands all have overseas territories in the Caribbean. | Britain, France, the US and the Netherlands all have overseas territories in the Caribbean. |
| The British government said more than 1,300 troops were staying put in the region and an additional military team had been deployed. A 42-strong military resilience team has also been deployed to the British Virgin Islands. | The British government said more than 1,300 troops were staying put in the region and an additional military team had been deployed. A 42-strong military resilience team has also been deployed to the British Virgin Islands. |
| French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told AFP that 110 more soldiers would be sent to the region to reinforce about 3,000 people already there. | French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told AFP that 110 more soldiers would be sent to the region to reinforce about 3,000 people already there. |
| The Dutch navy tweeted that troops were heading to Saba and St Eustatius to bolster security amid fears of potential looting. | The Dutch navy tweeted that troops were heading to Saba and St Eustatius to bolster security amid fears of potential looting. |
| US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, where the US military has been evacuating personnel. | US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, where the US military has been evacuating personnel. |
| Are you in an area affected by Hurricane Maria? If it's safe to do so, you can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you in an area affected by Hurricane Maria? If it's safe to do so, you can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |