Flights from the UK to the Caribbean have been disrupted by Hurricane Irma as US authorities warn of a “potentially catastrophic” storm in the eastern Caribbean.

Just days after Hurricane Harvey devastated large parts of southern Texas and Louisiana, Irma has been upgraded to the “extremely dangerous” category five, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.

The US National Hurricane Center warned of strong winds, huge swells and heavy rain in the Leeward Islands, with storm surges as high as 11ft (3.4 metres) and up to 18 inches of rain in the British and US Virgin Islands.

Puerto Rico, which is a key flight transfer hub in the Caribbean, has declared a state of emergency and its governor has described Hurricane Irma as “something without precedent”.

Many flights between islands in the Caribbean have been cancelled before the storm makes landfall.



British Airways cancelled one flight from London Gatwick to Antigua and Tobago on Tuesday, and cancelled another to Antigua and St Kitts for Wednesday. The airline has also sent an empty aircraft to Antigua to bring travellers back to the UK early.

In a statement, BA said: “The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority. We have offered all customers due to travel to the region in the coming days a range of rebooking options and are keeping our flights to the entire region under review.”

Virgin Atlantic is yet to make major changes to its flight schedule to the Caribbean, but has warned changes and cancellations are possible. The airline has offered holidaymakers travelling to Antigua during Hurricane Irma the chance to change their plans without extra charge.

The UK Foreign Office has instructed travellers to follow the advice of local authorities in affected areas.

For Antigua and Barbuda, the FCO warned: “Hurricane Irma is forecast to bring hazardous sea and weather conditions to north eastern parts of the Caribbean from around 6 September; you should follow the advice of the local authorities and any evacuation orders.”

The US state of Florida has also declared a state of emergency in anticipation of Hurricane Irma, urging residents to prepare. The storm is expected to reach southern Florida on Saturday, and airlines have warned of potential disruption during the bad weather.