More than 6 million under evacuation orders in Florida as Hurricane Irma closes in
Irma has been downgraded to a Category 3 storm but forecasters believed it would regain strength as it approaches Florida
More than 6 million people have been ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Irma approaches the US state of Florida.
The authorities in Florida have put 6.3 million people under evacuation orders Saturday from the earlier 5.6 million, AFP reported.
The Hurricane which weakened to a Category Three storm is expected to regain strength as it heads for Florida, AFP quoted US forecasters as saying.
The National Hurricane Centre cautioned that Irma is "forecast to restrengthen while heading for south Florida and the keys", according to AFP.
The storm, which has been rated as the worst Atlantic storm in recorded history, has caused massive damage in the Caribbean killing 22 and devastated islands which would take a huge effort to rebuild.
Irma hit Cuba as a Category 4 storm.
Florida Governor Rick Scott has sounded warning that it would be difficult to evacuate people after the storm makes landfall.