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| UK tourists braced for hurricane | UK tourists braced for hurricane |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| British tourists in the Cayman Islands and Mexico are bracing themselves for Hurricane Dean, which has already devastated parts of the Caribbean. | British tourists in the Cayman Islands and Mexico are bracing themselves for Hurricane Dean, which has already devastated parts of the Caribbean. |
| Forecasters say the storm may intensify into the highest category, five, by the time it hits Mexico later. | Forecasters say the storm may intensify into the highest category, five, by the time it hits Mexico later. |
| The Foreign Office is advising tourists in the Yucatan peninsula to leave while air and land links are still operating. | The Foreign Office is advising tourists in the Yucatan peninsula to leave while air and land links are still operating. |
| Meanwhile, airports in Jamaica remain closed and electricity supplies turned off after the storm hit on Sunday. | Meanwhile, airports in Jamaica remain closed and electricity supplies turned off after the storm hit on Sunday. |
| Dean wreaked havoc in the eastern Caribbean, claiming at least six lives. There have been no reports so far of casualties in Jamaica. | Dean wreaked havoc in the eastern Caribbean, claiming at least six lives. There have been no reports so far of casualties in Jamaica. |
| href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1187609378/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1187609378/html/1.stm', '1187609476', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=328,left=312,top=100'); return false;">View path of Hurricane Dean in more detail href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1187609378/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1187609378/html/1.stm', '1187609476', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=328,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >Enlarge Map | |
| The Federation of Tour Operators said about 3,000 British tourists had been evacuated from Cancun in recent days, ahead of the hurricane moving towards the Mexican coastal resort. | |
| Extra flights were laid on to help transport tourists out, and the 5,500 UK holidaymakers still in the area are being advised to leave. | |
| Hotels are being boarded up and makeshift shelters set up. | |
| Robbie Black, of Llanelli, said he and his family are among 300 passengers stranded after their flight to Cardiff out of Cancun on Wednesday was cancelled. | |
| "It is very scary because none of us from the UK have any experience of hurricanes, least of all a category five," he said. | "It is very scary because none of us from the UK have any experience of hurricanes, least of all a category five," he said. |
| "Everybody is casting their minds back to the pictures they have of the devastation of Katrina in New Orleans." | "Everybody is casting their minds back to the pictures they have of the devastation of Katrina in New Orleans." |
| He said resort staff had taped up windows and light fittings were being taken down in preparation for the hurricane's arrival. | He said resort staff had taped up windows and light fittings were being taken down in preparation for the hurricane's arrival. |
| 'No concerns' | |
| British holidaymaker Tony Nicholl, of Market Weston, Suffolk, said staff at his hotel in Cancun had offered to move him to another hotel up the coast out of danger, but instead he will fly on to Mexico City. | |
| "We are...determined to see out the rest of our holiday. The situation here is orderly and professional and we have no concerns whatsoever," he said. | "We are...determined to see out the rest of our holiday. The situation here is orderly and professional and we have no concerns whatsoever," he said. |
| FOREIGN OFFICE TRAVEL ADVICE Cayman Islands: All travel advised againstJamaica: All travel advised againstMexico: All but essential travel to the Yucatan peninsula advised againstBelize: All but essential travel to the coastal area advised against Caribbean visitors hit by Dean | FOREIGN OFFICE TRAVEL ADVICE Cayman Islands: All travel advised againstJamaica: All travel advised againstMexico: All but essential travel to the Yucatan peninsula advised againstBelize: All but essential travel to the coastal area advised against Caribbean visitors hit by Dean |
| In the Cayman Islands a curfew has been imposed and tourists evacuated. | |
| Andy Alexander, a British ex-pat living in George Town, Grand Cayman, said it took a couple of years to get life back to normal after Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004. | |
| "The tension is mounting as so many people know what to expect this time around. | |
| "Everyone is trying to make their homes safe since it is next to impossible to get flights off the island." | |
| British Airways said any UK tourists due to go to the Cayman Islands were being given the option to rebook or take their holidays in the Bahamas instead. | British Airways said any UK tourists due to go to the Cayman Islands were being given the option to rebook or take their holidays in the Bahamas instead. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY My daughter and her husband are in the second week of their holiday in Cancun Ian, Nottingham Send us your comments | |
| The Foreign Office is now advising against all non-essential travel to the coastal areas of Belize. Those already there are being told to move inland. | |
| Meanwhile, an estimated 5,000 holidaymakers in Jamaica will wake up to find trees uprooted and roofs torn apart after the south coast of the island was battered overnight by winds of up to 230km/h (145mph). | Meanwhile, an estimated 5,000 holidaymakers in Jamaica will wake up to find trees uprooted and roofs torn apart after the south coast of the island was battered overnight by winds of up to 230km/h (145mph). |
| Some hotels were evacuated, curfews were imposed and the national grid was shut down. | Some hotels were evacuated, curfews were imposed and the national grid was shut down. |
| A month-long state of emergency has now been declared, widening the powers of security forces. | A month-long state of emergency has now been declared, widening the powers of security forces. |
| ADVICE LINE FOR UK NATIONALS (00 1 876) 510 0700 | ADVICE LINE FOR UK NATIONALS (00 1 876) 510 0700 |
| The Foreign Office is advising British people against all travel to Jamaica until further notice. | The Foreign Office is advising British people against all travel to Jamaica until further notice. |
| The British High Commission in Jamaica has set up a 24-hour phone line for UK nationals seeking advice. | The British High Commission in Jamaica has set up a 24-hour phone line for UK nationals seeking advice. |
| Assistance | Assistance |
| In the meantime, two Royal Navy ships are heading to the region to offer assistance. | In the meantime, two Royal Navy ships are heading to the region to offer assistance. |
| Me and my family are due to depart the island tomorrow... and we have no idea if we will be able to do so Victoria Malbon, Jamaica BBC News website reader Hurricane Dean: Readers' updates In pictures | Me and my family are due to depart the island tomorrow... and we have no idea if we will be able to do so Victoria Malbon, Jamaica BBC News website reader Hurricane Dean: Readers' updates In pictures |
| A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said HMS Portland and RFA Wave Ruler would track the hurricane and be able to react immediately. | A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said HMS Portland and RFA Wave Ruler would track the hurricane and be able to react immediately. |
| The vessels are part of the Royal Navy's Atlantic Patrol (North) which supports British dependent territories in the Caribbean during the hurricane season. | The vessels are part of the Royal Navy's Atlantic Patrol (North) which supports British dependent territories in the Caribbean during the hurricane season. |
| Victoria Malbon, a holidaymaker from Northern Ireland, was in a hotel in Ocho Rios, a town on the northern coast of Jamaica, when the hurricane hit. | Victoria Malbon, a holidaymaker from Northern Ireland, was in a hotel in Ocho Rios, a town on the northern coast of Jamaica, when the hurricane hit. |
| "Luckily enough, me and the rest of my family are safe," she said. | "Luckily enough, me and the rest of my family are safe," she said. |
| She said hotel staff had done what they could to make guests feel safe, but she had concerns about the lack of information from airlines. | |
| "Me and my family are due to depart the island tomorrow... and we have no idea if we will be able to do so," she said. | "Me and my family are due to depart the island tomorrow... and we have no idea if we will be able to do so," she said. |
| Are you a British tourist trapped in the affected areas? Or has your holiday been cancelled or delayed? Tell us your story here and we will publish a selection on this page. | Are you a British tourist trapped in the affected areas? Or has your holiday been cancelled or delayed? Tell us your story here and we will publish a selection on this page. |