Residents in Puerto Rico are picking up the pieces after their homes were pummelled by Hurricane Maria, which is now heading towards the Turks and Caicos Islands.

A curfew was imposed across Puerto Rico after 155mph winds ripped off roofs and brought down balconies and power lines, plunging the entire US territory of 3.5 million people into darkness.

It is the strongest storm to hit the Caribbean island since 1932.

The category three hurricane has been lashing the Dominican Republic, having been forecast to dump up to half a metre of rain on the country.

The destinations it is predicted to head to next - Turks and Caicos Islands and the southern islands of The Bahamas - are due for similar downpours and a large storm surge.


Image: Hurricane Maria brings down buildings in Puerto Rico

Sky's Mark Austin, who was able to drive around the Puerto Rico as the storm began to move away, found trees and masts down across the country.

He said: "We saw buildings collapsed with looters taking what they could from damaged shops, and petrol stations destroyed."

There is serious flooding in the southeast of the island, close to where the storm made landfall, and many homes and other structures are thought to have been badly damaged.

Image: A McDonald's restaurant was among the buildings that was damaged

It could be many weeks before some properties have power again.

There were reports of windows being blown out at some hospitals and police stations and a man was reported to have died after being hit by a flying piece of timber.

Felix Delgado, mayor of the northern coastal city of Catano, said: "Months and months and months and months are going to pass before we can recover from this."

Image: Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island Dominica Image: A flooded expressway in Yauco, Puerto Rico Image: A flooded street is seen in the Juana Matos neighbourhood in Catano municipality, Puerto Rico Image: A destroyed supermarket in Guayama, Puerto Rico Image: Residents clear the streets after Hurricane Maria made landfall in the Guaynabo suburb of San Juan, Puerto Rico Image: The French-Dutch Caribbean island of Saint Martin Image: San Juan, Puerto Rico Image: Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island Dominica Image: Roof shingles, a playground and the sign of a restaurant lie scattered on hurricane-battered St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Image: A MV-22 Osprey ferrying Marines bound for islands ravaged by Hurricane Maria takes off at sunrise from the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge Image: People walk among debris on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Image: The Soco River in El Seibo, Dominican Republic Image: People wade through a flooded expressway in Yauco, Puerto Rico Image: Salinas, Puerto Rico Image: USS Kearsarge motors at top speed towards islands impacted by Hurricane Maria, in the Caribbean Sea Image: A damaged banana plantation in Guayama, Puerto Rico Image: Puerto Rico Image: Damage caused by Hurricane Maria in Roseau, Dominica Image: Puerto de Jobos, Puerto Rico Image: Members of the military help remove damaged boats in Orient Bay, St. Martin Image: A man tries to salvage a table belonging to his restaurant in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Image: Puerto Rico Image: Orient Bay, St. Martin after it was hit by Hurricane Maria Image: Damaged electrical installations in Guayama, Puerto Rico Image: Dominica Image: A man looks for valuables in the damaged house of a relative in Guayama, Puerto Rico Image: A damaged pier in Puerto de Jobos, Puerto Rico Image: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Image: Damaged boats in Salinas, Puerto Rico Image: Residents work on their roof in a badly damaged neighbourhood in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Image: Toppled shipping containers and destroyed road in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Image: Guayama, Puerto Rico Image: Rescue workers help people in Guayama, Puerto Rico Image: Guadeloupe Image: Martinique Image: Guadeloupe Image: Martinique /

The island's governor, Ricardo Rossello said: "It's nothing short of a major disaster."

US President Donald Trump tweeted: "Puerto Rico being hit hard by new monster Hurricane. Be careful, our hearts are with you - will be there to help!"

Maria is the second severe storm to smash into the Caribbean in a fortnight, after Hurricane Irma left widespread damage across the Leeward Islands, many of which are British overseas territories and Commonwealth countries.

The US Hurricane Centre reupgraded Maria to a severe category three hurricane on Thursday morning, as it approached the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic.

The storm is expected to strengthen as it heads toward the Turks and Caicos, a British overseas territory, and The Bahamas on Thursday night and into Friday.

Image: Men walk among damaged trees in San Juan after the passage of Hurricane Maria

The UK government warned people to stay away from the region.

The Hurricane Centre predicted that a storm surge and large waves will raise water levels by as much as 4ft to 6ft above normal tide levels in parts of the Dominican Republic, and between as much as 9ft and 12ft in the affected parts of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

Hurricane Maria: Sky man witnesses fury of storm in Puerto Rico

Meanwhile, tourism officials on the US Virgin Islands have told potential visitors to postpone their trips while authorities assess the effects of the hurricane on St Croix.

The islands' tourism department says Maria brought heavy rainfall and flooding to St Croix, and communications throughout the islands, which were also hit by Hurricane Irma, are limited.

Mr Trump declared the US Virgin Islands a major disaster zone, freeing up federal funds for the relief effort.

On the island of Guadeloupe, two people were killed, floodwaters have inundated towns and almost half the population is without power.

Watch as Maria tracks away from Puerto Rico and a "Hurricane Symbol" develops in her Eye. #Maria #HurricaneMaria pic.twitter.com/al7kYNOLkO — NWS Memphis (@NWSMemphis) September 21, 2017

The storm also blew over the tiny island of Dominica on Monday, ripping off 95% of roofs and killing at least seven people.

Florida is unlikely to be hit by the full force of Maria. The storm is predicted to roll northwards up the US east coast but not make landfall there. It will, however, cause dangerous swells along the Carolinas and Virginia by the weekend.