Hurricane Felix slammed into Nicaragua’s Miskito Coast as a record-breaking Category 5 monster storm today in an area home to thousands of stranded Miskito Indians.

Planes shuttled tourists from Caribbean island resorts in a desperate airlift today as Hurricane Felix bore down on Honduras and Belize.

Hurricane Felix rapidly strengthened into a dangerous Category 5 storm as it headed through the Caribbean Sea towards Central America, where forecasters said it could make landfall with “potentially catastrophic” effect.

Hurricane Felix gathered strength early today and became a Category 2 storm, the US National Hurricane Center said. It was forecast to pass just north of the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.

Hurricane Felix gathered strength early today and became a Category 2 hurricane, the US National Hurricane Center said. It was forecast to pass just north of the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.