Hurricane Irma began pounding southern Florida on Saturday afternoon as emergency officials warned of 15ft storm surges and tornadoes and told those who have so far ignored evacuation orders: ‘You’re on your own’.

While the hurricane’s eye will not directly hit mainland US until Monday, its outer bands have already begun pounding parts of Miami and southeast Florida. Two tornadoes hit Broward County after the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch on Saturday afternoon.