Relief efforts under way in Florida

Relief operations are under way in Florida, as the extent of the damage from Hurricane Irma is becoming clear.

The storm weakened as it moved up the state's western coast overnight, but Miami and other urban areas have been battered and flooded.

Six million homes or 62 per cent of the entire state is without power.

In the islands of the Florida Keys, officials have warned of a humanitarian crisis.

Media reports link at least four deaths to the storm.

Irma, which hit Florida as a category four hurricane on Sunday, has now been downgraded to a tropical storm.

Florida Governor Rick Scott says it is going to take some time before people can return to their homes.