A huge tropical storm is getting faster and faster as it bears down on Florida bringing closer what one forecaster warned could be 'the storm of a lifetime'.
Major airlines have issued storm waivers allowing passengers to cancel their tickets at no cost, while several airports are looking at closing.
As of Tuesday morning GMT Hurricane Ian was bearing down on the south western states of the US and made landfall in Cuba overnight.
It is feared that the storm could raise water levels as much as four metres above normal tide marks along western Cuba, potentially spelling disaster for parts of the island.
A state of emergency was declared by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the weekend, with 5,000 National Guard troops activated and residents of the state told to "remain calm" as the "really big hurricane" approached.
The US's National Weather Service has urged people to protect themselves and their property as Hurricane Ian continues to increase in intensity.
The forecaster's latest prediction is for a storm raging well over 100mph, meaning floods, wrecked buildings and downed power lines are highly likely.
"Ian is expected to be a major hurricane in the eastern Gulf of Mexico during the middle of this week," the National Weather Service tweeted late on Monday.
"Regardless of Ian’s exact track, there is a risk of a life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall along the west coast/Panhandle of Florida by mid-week."
Rick Davis, a forecaster at the service, told CNN: “We tell people even if they’re lifelong Floridians like myself, this is something that we haven’t seen in our lifetime… So we definitely need to take it seriously.”
Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Jet Blue and Spirt Airlines all issued waivers for flights to airports across Florida for travel through at least September 30, Travel and Leisure reported.
American has issued a travel alert for 20 airports in the western Caribbean and Florida, paving the way for customers whose travel plans are affected by Hurricane Ian to rebook without change fees.
Tampa International Airport said it “may begin shutting down parts of its airfield and facilities in the next 24 to 48 hours", while Orlando and Miami international airports say they're monitoring the situation.
British Airways - which flies routes to Miami, Orlando and Tampa - passengers "due to travel to Florida up to and including 1 October can change their travel dates for free to travel up to and including 8 October", the airline has said.
People who have already made it to the Sunshine State for a holiday may find their plans have been seriously disrupted.
Major theme park Busch Gardens Tampa will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, while guests are being evacuated from some Disney World hotels.
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, the Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort are being shut from Wednesday to Friday.
“We are contacting guests with current and upcoming reservations,” the resort said in a statement.
The areas being closed are lodges close to the water, bungalows and golf courses.
While the main park will remain open, Disney allows guests to cancel tickets or reservations with no penalty if there is a hurricane warning in effect.
The last time Disney World closed for a hurricane was in 2017 when Hurricane Irma hit Florida.
In this current Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June to November, there have been nine named tropical storms so far, four of which strengthened into a hurricane, and two reached major hurricane intensity.
That compares to 21 storms, seven hurricanes and four major hurricanes last year - at that point the third-most active Atlantic hurricane season on record.
