Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Weather system Hermine has weakened to a tropical storm as it moves inland after making landfall in Florida's Big Bend area as a hurricane.

Hurricane Hermine gained strength as it roared towards Florida's Gulf Coast, as residents were warned to flee inland if necessary amid a "life-threatening situation".

Residents on Florida’s Gulf coast filled sandbags, schools planned to close early, and governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Colin gained speed and churned towards the state, threatening serious flooding.

A blizzard with hurricane-force winds brought much of the US East Coast to a standstill today, dumping as much as three feet of snow, stranding tens of thousands of travellers and shutting down Washington and New York City.

A shark bit a 68-year-old man several times off North Carolina, officials have said. The attack is the seventh such incident in the US state’s coastal waters in less than three weeks.

Tornadoes and storms ripping through several central states in the US have killed two people and injured dozens, officials say.

Tornadoes and storms ripping through several central states in the US have killed two people and injured dozens, officials say.

The Junior B Football game scheduled for the first day of the North American Finals at the end of this month stands out: Cayman Islands v Raleigh (North Carolina).

Seamus Power’s PGA Tour dream will have to wait for at least another year after the West Waterford man fell at the penultimate stage of the dreaded Q School for the second year running.

New Yorkers are being offered free travel on subways, buses and commuter trains as the city tries to help ease recovery from the chaos caused by superstorm Sandy.

The sun shone again over New York yesterday, as the city and much of the US east coast took the first steps back to normality after being battered by superstorm Sandy.

President Obama has declared a "major disaster" in New York and Long Island after superstorm Sandy swept across the east coast of America, killing at least 16 people.

As the cooler weather set in around the northern states of the US this month, the question arose once again: why oh why does the baseball season extend into October?

THE mayor of New York had a specific audience in mind. That audience was made up of Jimmy Buffet’s “tourists covered with oil”: holiday-makers on the beaches.

HURRICANE Irene caused extraordinary disruption Friday as it zeroed in for a catastrophic run up the Eastern Seaboard. More than two million people were ordered to move to safer places, and New York announced plans to shut down its entire network of subways for the first time because of a natural disaster.

Tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Irene have begun lashing the east coast of the US, with the potential to cause billions of dollars in damage.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is advising Irish citizens travelling to or living in coastal areas of the east coast of the US from the Carolinas to New England to exercise caution.

NEW York governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency to prepare for the potential impact of Hurricane Irene, which could hit the state this weekend.

Tropical storm Irene strengthened into a hurricane today after it began moving across Puerto Rico, bringing torrential rains and winds and threatening to move toward the US later in the week.

US President Barack Obama declared an emergency today after a wave of tornado-spawning storms tore through the South, splintering buildings and killing more than 70 people in four states.

A furious storm system that kicked up tornadoes, flash floods and hail stones as big as grapefruits has now claimed at least 35 lives across the southern US.

Violent storms have swept across the mid-west and southern states of America, killing at least nine people including three children.

THE US north-east began yesterday to shake off the grip of one of the biggest blizzards in years, but beleaguered travellers faced another day of headaches in New York airports.

Blizzard conditions dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the US north east, stranding thousands of airline, bus and rail passengers, with lashing winds and low visibility also buffeting workers returning to their post-Christmas routines.

A winter storm made travel torturous in north-east America, dropping a thick layer of snow that stranded thousands of airline, train and bus passengers and made motorists think twice about hitting post-Christmas sales.

A band of frigid weather snaking its way up the east coast of the United States threatens to bring blizzards and a foot of snow to New York City and New England, while several states to the South made emergency declarations as the storm caused crashes on slick roads.

Tropical Storm Hanna sped toward the Carolinas today, promising to deliver gusty winds and heavy rain during a dash up America’s Eastern Seaboard that could wash out the weekend for millions of people.

Tropical Storm Hanna roared past the edge of the Bahamas today before a possible hurricane hit on the Carolinas, leaving behind at least 137 dead in Haiti.

Tropical Storm Hanna roared along the edge of the Bahamas today, ahead of a possible hurricane hit on the Carolinas, leaving behind at least 61 dead in Haiti.

US President George Bush will today visit areas hit by tornadoes that have killed at least 20 people in several American states, including eight students at an Alabama high school.

US President George Bush will tomorrow visit areas hit by a tornadoes that have killed at least 20 people in several American states, including eight students at an Alabama high school.

HERE’S a case in which the municipal bond market may help confound the experts.

The remnants of the first named storm of the hurricane season churned through the south-eastern US early today, bringing much-needed rain and offering officials a chance to practice their storm preparations.

IF THE average Joe played the 17th hole at TPC-Sawgrass the way most of the pros will play it this weekend, the water surrounding the most famous island green in golf would be relatively calm.

Hurricane Ophelia lingered in the Atlantic early today but meteorologists said the storm could take a sharp turn toward the Carolinas, where a hurricane-watch was in effect.

Tropical Storm Ophelia strengthened into a hurricane again today as it charted a course that could lead it to the Atlantic coast of the US.

Atlantic storm Ophelia regained hurricane strength, on a course expected to swing towards the Atlantic Coast, as forecasters urged residents from northern Florida to the Carolinas keep close watch on its path over the next few days.

RELIEF workers are warning of an epidemic of diseases such as malaria and tetanus in Haiti, as a humanitarian crisis mounts following devastating floods that killed 1,650 people and left 400,000 homeless.

AT least three people died and more than a million were left without power yesterday after Hurricane Jeanne hit Florida’s east coast.

Hurricane Jeanne lashed Florida’s Atlantic Coast early today with 120mph winds and drenching rains, putting the weather-weary state in the record books.

HURRICANE Ivan extended its deadly march across the Southern United States yesterday, destroying homes, swamping streets and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power from the Gulf Coast to the Carolinas.

Thousands of residents desperate to return home after fleeing Hurricane Frances have ignored Florida’s plea to stay put, jamming main roads, delaying emergency workers and causing tempers to flare in the sticky heat.