Hurricane Michelle roared across Cuba today as the government shut down power and evacuated 750,000 people from the path of a storm which generated gusts of up to 130 mph.

Hurricane Michelle gathered strength for a strike on Cuba as it crept across the western Caribbean today on a course that could also take it to Florida or the Bahamas.

Tropical Storm Michelle reached hurricane strength today as it churned through the Caribbean after drenching Honduras, Nicaragua and Jamaica with four days of rains that killed six people, left 26 missing and forced more than 115,000 to flee their homes.