The U-S National Hurricane Center says hurricane Irma is bearing down on the lower Florida Keys this morning.
As of 6 a.m. EDT, the U.S. National Hurricane Center says the Category 4 storm is centred about 30 miles (50 kilometres) south-southeast of Key West, Florida, and is moving northwest at 8 mph (13 kph).
Irma's maximum sustained winds are near 130 mph (215 kph). The hurricane centre says weakening is forecast but Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane as it moves through the Florida Keys and near Florida's west coast.
A National Ocean Service station on a coral reef near the Keys has recorded sustained winds of 66 mph 105-kilometres-per-hour with gusts up to 137 kilometres-per-hour.
Irma has regained Category 4 status with maximum sustained winds near 210-kilometres-per-hour.
Tens of thousands in Florida are huddled in shelters as the hurricane threatens to make a catastrophic hit on the state.
The leading edge of the immense storm bent palm trees and spit rain across South Florida, knocking out power to more than 170-thousand homes and businesses, as the eye approached Key West.