Footage shows ferocity of Hurricane Maria's destructive winds
Footage from Dominica shows the destructive force of the winds being unleashed by Hurricane Maria last night.
The footage released by the prefecture of the Guadeloupe region shows the hurricane tearing through the island.
[Direct] #Maria #Basseterre Les vents sont extrêmement violents. Restez confinés. Ne sortez sous aucun prétexte. pic.twitter.com/0D8O0YY8a0
— Préfet de Guadeloupe (@Prefet971) September 19, 2017
It should be noted that Maria made landfall on the Caribbean island as a Category 4 storm.
[Direct] #Maria Le centre se trouve actuellement au sud de Basse-Terre. Restez confinés. Réfugiez-vous dans la pièce la + sûre. pic.twitter.com/mwx01Rs4lo
— Préfet de Guadeloupe (@Prefet971) September 19, 2017
It has since escalated to a Category 5 with sustained wind speeds of up to 260km/h as it churned about 325km southeast of St Croix, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an advisory.
The centre of the storm has been described by the NHC as "potentially catastrophic" as it passed almost directly over Dominica overnight.
