Like a slow-moving stalker in a horror movie, Hurricane Irma is now less than 650km from Miami and making steady progress. The exceptionally-powerful storm has triggered a mass exodus from Florida, one of the largest evacuations in US history.
As a precautionary measure, officials with the British Antarctic Survey have decided to shut down the Halley VI Research Station for the winter after a new ice crack emerged just a few kilometres from the remote outpost.