Hurricane Maria extends to Southernmost Virgin Islands

Hurricane Maria, the second maximum-strength Atlantic storm of the season, has reached the southernmost Virgin Islands as it heads for Puerto Rico.

The category five hurricanes began lashing St Croix in its north-western path across the Caribbean.

On Monday, it inflicted substantial damage on Dominica and the first aerial images of the island have emerged.

The storm is moving roughly along the same track as Irma.

The governor of Puerto Rico, García Padilla has told the island people to seek shelter with the hurricane poised to make landfall.