Hurricane Matthew: Dangerous storm closes in on Haiti

Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent years is closing in on Haiti, bringing winds, rains and storm surges.

Hurricane Matthew, a Category Four storm, is forecast to hit the western tip of Haiti early on Tuesday.

"Life-threatening" conditions are already bearing down on the island, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Interim Haitian President Jocelerme Privert said a number of people had been killed.

"We've already seen deaths. People who were out at sea. There are people who are missing. They are people who didn't respect the alerts. They've lost their lives," he said.

    Hurricane Matthew in pictures

    Animated guide: Hurricanes

Matthew could bring up to 40in (102cm) of rain and winds of 145mph (230km/h), potentially triggering mudslides and flash floods.

Its centre is forecast to hit Haiti's south-western tip around dawn (1100 GMT).

Haiti is one of the world's poorest countries and many residents live in areas prone to flooding.

"Part of the problem in Haiti is it's quite mountainous and Matthew is a slow-moving hurricane so it could deliver large amounts of rain," John Cangialosi of the US National Hurricane Center told the BBC.

"Best advice for anyone in Haiti is hopefully get somewhere, the safest place you can be, to ride this out."