Millions flee from hurricane number 2

Thousands of British tourists are trapped as a massive hurricane dubbed "the worst storm in living memory" swept today across the Caribbean towards Florida.

Evacuation orders have been given to nearly 2.5million people from Miami to north of Orlando, where Hurricane Frances is expected to strike land tomorrow afternoon.

With airports ordered to close, an estimated 15,000 British holidaymakers have been told to seek shelter as British Airways and Virgin cancelled Florida flights until further notice.

Virgin said it had 7,500 customers there and had sent representatives to Heathrow and Gatwick to break the news to those still hoping to fly.

Thomson Holidays said it had cancelled trips for 1,000 Britons planning to fly to Orlando, with another 1,400 forced to ride out the hurricane before they could come home.

The category four hurricane - the second strongest possible - is nearly three times the size of Hurricane Charley, which slammed into the west of Florida last month, killing 27. Charley caused an estimated £12billion damage, making it the most expensive natural disaster in history.

With winds pushing 145mph, the potential destruction from Frances is even greater. It will be the first time Florida has been hit by two major storms so close together since 1950. Governor Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency, warning: "This is going to hit us and it's going to hit us hard."

Parts of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands were the first to bear the brunt of the storm overnight. First reports spoke of dozens of houses ripped to pieces and trees torn from the ground.