Dozens of cinemas in Florida are understood to have closed along with theme parks Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando before Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall on Wednesday (September 28).
Ian is already classified as a “life-threatening” Category 3 hurricane generating 120mph winds off the coast and reports said by Wednesday afternoon or evening it could reach Category 4, bringing wind speeds anywhere from 130mph to 15mph.
By Tuesday evening Ian’s outer regions were generating tropical storms to the Florida Keys. Some 2.5m Floridians are under evacuation orders and storm surge warnings are in effect on the state’s west coast, where experts say the water could get as high as eight to 12 feet.
Cuba to the southeast was plunged into a nationwide blackout on Tuesday after Ian made landfall as a Category 3.
Much of the US territory of Puerto Rico remains without electricity after the Category 1 Hurricane Fiona made landfall nine days ago, dumping huge amounts of water on an island whose shambolic infrastructure is yet to recover from the devastating high-end Category 4 Hurricane Maria five years ago.
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