Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Cuba, Florida braces for impact

Hurricane Ian has made landfall in western Cuba as a category three storm, bringing wind speeds of up to 205 kilometers per hour.

Cuban authorities declared emergencies in six areas, with forecasters warning of storm surges on the coast along with flash floods and mudslides.

Tens of thousands of people were told to leave their homes and seek shelter.

Ian is expected to strengthen en route to Florida, where the governor has warned of a potential "major disaster".

As of 9 o'clock this morning, the centre of the storm was located about five miles south of the city of Pinar del Rio in Cuba, moving north at nearly 19 kilometers per hour.