Good morning. Hurricane Ian has hit the Florida coast, bringing winds up to 240 km/h. The British PM has been accused of going into hiding as the UK economy faces continued chaos, with the central bank forced to step in to protect pensions from collapse. And in Australia, the Greens are ramping up their demand for a national rent freeze as new figures show the average rent has gone up by $3,000 in one year.
Hurricane Ian, feared to be one of the most catastrophic storms to strike the US mainland, has crossed the coast of south-west Florida as a category 4 hurricane with the state’s governor pleading: “Pray for people.” Early reports said more than 7% of Floridians had lost power, with that number expected to climb. And there were eerie sights of sea-less beaches as the storm’s winds stripped water from the coast, expected to return in a dangerous surge.
