Hurricane Irene: live

_{A tree branch lies on the ground in front of the U.S. Capitol building the morning after Hurricane Irene hit Washington}

19.28 (14.28 EDT) The Telegraph's New York correspondent Jon Swaine on how New Yorkers breathe a collective sigh of relief as hurricane hype fails to materialise:

By the time it reached New York, Irene had partially collapsed. Downgraded to a 60mph tropical storm, the city's first since 1893, it brought none of the feared carnage to Manhattan. New Yorkers who had stockpiled food and water in anticipation of days stuck inside were out walking their dogs and buying newspapers by 9am. By 10, sunshine begun breaking through the clouds.

_{A fallen tree lies in the road in downtown Asbury Park, New Jersey}

18.36 (13.36 EDT) Michael Bloomberg says New York Stock Exchange will open on time on Monday.

18.35 (13.35 EDT) The evacuation order will be lifted at 3pm EDT, Michael Bloomberg has announced.

18.24 (13.24 EDT) Air travel in New York will remain suspended for the rest of the day - flights could resume late on Monday afternoon, the Port Authority has announced.

18.22 (13.22 EDT) New York's mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that the 9/11 memorial has not been damaged by the hurricane and construction work will resume on Monday.

18.16 (13.16 EDT) The death toll from Irene has risen to 15 across six eastern US states.

17.57 (12.57 EDT) The Telegraph's transport editor David Millward on the thousands of flights that have been grounded and the closure of major airports in the east of the United States:

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, 10 airports were shut completely including JFK and LaGuardia in New York and Newark, New Jersey as well as Philadelphia. Other airports such as Boston and Portland, Maine remained open, but barely operating with only a handful of flights coming in and out. In Britain the hurricane has led to the cancellation of hundreds of transatlantic flights over the weekend at the height of the holiday season. At Heathrow, where New York is a popular bank holiday destination, more than 75 services to the United States, were unable to operate on Sunday .

17.48 (12.48 EDT) Barack Obama has held a video conference with key officials involved in the response to Hurricane Irene as the storm pounded New York City with winds and heavy rain. Here is the White House statement:

The president was updated on the response and recovery efforts that are currently under way in coordination with state and local officials as well as the status of critical energy and transportation infrastructure.

17.45 (12.45 EDT) New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has told residents to continue to stay inside.

17.28 (12.28 EDT) New York's Mayor Bloomberg is due to give a similar update imminently.

17.22 (12.22 EDT) New Jersey Governor Chris Christie reports that two people have died in his state - one of the dead is a firefighter who died during an attempted rescue.

He also tweets:

"I am proud of the people in the state of NJ." Over 1 million people evacuated from shore in a quick, orderly fashion.

There is no question that there will be significant business losses that we will have to take into account.

17.16 (12.16 EDT) Flights disruption is expected to last well into the coming week, according to US aviation officials.

New York's international airports will only start to reopen tomorrow. Flights have resumed in the Washinton region, but remain severly disrupted.

17.03 (12.03 EDT) Irene is now over New England, where winds between 30 and 60 mph are being registered.

16.58 (11.58 EDT) New York City's fire department has made dozens of water rescues around the city because of Irene and is searching for other people who might be trapped.

In the Broad Channel section of Queens, city rescue workers are riding in boats to search bungalows floating down the street to make sure no one is inside.

Altogether, the FDNY has rescued 61 adults and three babies from 21 houses.

^{A taxi sits in flood water on Coney Island.}

16.49 (11.49 EDT) US Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano has said the worst of Irene has now passed US east coast up to New York, but warns public dangers remain.

She also said Barack Obama has been briefed on the situation, and has instructed administration officials to continue being aggressive in their efforts to deal with the storm and its aftermath.

16.45 (11.45 EDT) This Cape Cod store owner in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts took more precautions than most but seemed to anticipate that Irene might be more benign than anticipated.

16.35 (11.35 EDT) In case you missed it earlier today, here's another look at a US weather reporter getting covered in what he terms " "some kind of organic matter":

16.30 (11.30 EDT) It may be a day old, but this picture of Hurricane Irene from space, tweeted by Nasa astronaut Ron Garan, is well worth a look.

16.24 (11.24 EDT) Hurricane Irene has made 2011 a record year for weather-related disasters in the United States, a US government study has concluded.

Irene is the tenth natural disaster this year to cause at least $1 billion of damage, the National Climactic Data Center said.

Since 1980, the United States has sustained about $750 billion in damage from an assortment of weather disasters, with hurricanes and tropical storms easily the most costly at an estimated $367.3 billion.

16.12 (11.12 EDT) New York's top emergency official says the city has got through the worst of Hurricane Irene, despite some damage and flooding.

Actually, the skies are looking up. There are a number of areas of the city that are inundated by some surge, some rain, but overall I think we've got through this.

15.48 (10.48 EDT) @capitalweather tweets:

Delaware evacuation lifted - businesses may re-open

15.44 (10.45 EDT) US stock exchanges expect to open trading on Monday as normal.

A final decision will be made after a conference call at 1pm EDT on Sunday, according to Reuters.

15.31 (10.31 EDT) 4.5 million households have experienced Irene-related power outages, according to AP.

15.15 (10.15 EDT) Tropical Storm Irene is now over Waterbury, north of New York.

^{New York's Lower Manhatten area has experienced moderate flooding so far.}

15.09 (10.09 EDT) New York power utility Consolidated Edison has said it's yet to make a final decision on whether to cut power to Lower Manhattan due to storm surges.

The firm, which supplies power to more than 3 million homes and businesses in New York City - or more than 8 million residents - said that around 95,000 of its customers had experienced power cuts so far in the city and nearby Westchester County.

So far only one customer has been affected in the borough of Manhattan, which includes New York's low-lying Financial District.

Any decision to cut power pre-emptively to Lower Manhattan could still be made in the coming hours, but "flooding there is not looking as bad as some expected,'' said the company's spokesman.

15.07 (10.07 EDT) The rain has stopped in New York, for the time being.

Water levels are receeding slowly and a few citizens are beginning to take to the streets to survey the damage.

14.55 (09.55 EDT) A catastrophe modelling company has predicted Irene will cause $200-400 million in insured losses in the Carolinas.

EQECAT said the bulk of the losses came from North Carolina.

14.36 (09.36 EDT) New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (who gave this animated press conference on Friday warning people to "get the hell off the beach") has told NBC News Irene could cost the US economy tens of billions of dollars.

14.22 (09.22 EDT) For a 'lighter' take on Tropical Storm-née-Hurricane Irene, I heartily recommend you follow our US Editor Toby Harnden's twitter account. He's enthusiastically retweeting sarcastic and satirical tweets on the storm. Here's a taster:

RT @John Podhoretz BREAKING: My window has raindrops on it.

14.13 (09.13 EDT) AP are running this video of a guard tower getting washed away on Long Island's Long Beach:

14.07 (09.07 EDT) The National Hurricane Center has downgraded Irene to Tropical Storm status.

Its winds are now at 65 mph.

14.04 (09.04 EDT) The Telegraph's Jon Swaine says things seem remarkably calm from his viewpoint in New York:

Where I am in Brooklyn, just a couple of blocks away from one of the evacuation zones, Irene has so far left very little trace. Bunches of leaves and long twigs have been blown from the trees into the middle of the road. But branches remain attached, the sewers are not blocked and there is no more water on the streets than we have seen during several of this month's many downpours (it has been the city's wettest August on record).

While shops are closed, and most people are heeding Mayor Bloomberg's advice to stay indoors and not seek heroic stories of braving the hurricane, I am currently watching a neighbour walk her dog, and neither are looking particularly troubled. Cars are going by every ten minutes or so. This may change as the eye passes over Long Island and Queens, but just now the mood seems one of optimism that this may all have been over-hyped.

13.55 (08.55 EDT) Here's a picture of that fallen tree in Brooklyn. No injuries have been reported.

13.49 (08.49 EDT) New York's Meatpacking District is starting to flood significantly. The street drainage system has backed up, and water is now flowing into apartment blocks.

The district is built on reclaimed land right next to the river, making it inevitably vulnerable to flooding. Many apartments are in 'Zone A', which means they have been forced to evacuate their homes.

13.47 (08.47 EDT) Tropical winds now hitting New York.

13.42 (08.42 EDT) The Hudson River has broken its banks on New York's east side.

13.28 (08.28 EDT) Irene is moving along the ground at 25 mph. The eye of the storm looks set to pass just to the east of New York City.

13.25 (08.25 EDT) Tropical Storm Jose has formed near Bermuda, becoming the the 10th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, U.S. forecasters said.

The Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said Jose formed about 115 miles south-southwest of Bermuda and was moving northward

13.15 (08.15 EDT) Reports of a fallen tree in Brooklyn.

13.13 (08.13 EDT) Irene has just sped up as its center nears New York City. Winds are at 75 mph.

^{The 'calm' before the storm: New York City, as it awaits Hurricane Irene.}

13.02 (08.02 EDT) The National Hurricane Center has confirmed that Irene is still a hurricane in its advisory update.

Right now, concern is focused on Long Beach, where the water has burst flood barriers and is flowing inland.

12.51 (07.51 EDT) The hurricane is now estimated to have knocked out power to 2.5 million homes (see 09.09 and 12.13).

12.47 (07.47 EDT) CNN's weather reporter is predicting New York will be hit by heavy thunderstorms within the next 15 minutes.

The centre of Irene is due to pass over New York City at 13.20 BST (8.20am EDT).

12.38 (07.38 EDT) An update is due at 8am on the storm's strength.

Reporters on the ground are speculating whether Irene will be downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm.

12.30 (07.30 EDT) Hurricane Irene is breaking up as it hits land, sending out pockets of torrential rain over the mainland like scouts surveying a battlefield.

As a result, the storm's eye has decreased in intensity, but mainland areas can expect to experience rainfall over a prolonged period of time. Estimates say rain will fall for 12 hours non-stop in New York.

Flooding remains a clear danger, as US meteorologist Brad Panovich tweets:

Inland flooding is the main threat & legacy of #Irene not wind or surge. Watch those rivers up & down the East Coast.

12.25 (07.25 EDT) Once the storm has passed New York, attention will likely turn to Massachusetts. Preparations there have been less than extensive, reports Toby Harnden:

While a few shops etc are boarded up most people have made no real preparations and the harbours here are still full of boats. So, if the storm is bad, the Cape will suffer. A lot of tourists as well as residents have stayed.

12.22 (07.22 EDT) Here's a Telegraph TV video of New Yorkers playing in the rain during Saturday night:

12.13 (07.13 EDT) More than one million homes and businesses in the Mid-Atlantic region are now without power and phone service.

12.02 (07.02 EDT) 15-20ft high waves have broken through the flood prevention barrier at Long Beach, where substantial water damage looks inevitable.

11.51 (06.51 EDT) Irene is now only around 20 miles outside New York, but the storm's route has changed slightly and - as it stands - the city won't feel the brunt of the force.

CNN's Anderson Cooper says the rain in New York is "annoying" but not painfull

11.40 (06.40 EDT) Philadelphia has stood up to the worst part of Irene so far, with only localised flooding causing problems.

City authorities remain concerned that the 'back end' of the storm may yet bring stronger winds and rain.

11.37 (06.37 EDT) Jim Reed, who documents extreme weather on camera, tweets:

Good-sized tree already down in Manhattan - 43rd st.

11.19 (06.19 EDT) Central New York is now deserted save for emergency services, as people stay at home in preparation for the worst part of the storm.

Some have made the most of the weather, however. The Vancouver State Fire Department, for example, indulged in a bit of 'rain hockey' in Times Square earlier today:

11.18 (06.18 EDT) Irene is getting closer to New York, with the strongest winds in the city expected to be experienced in roughly two hours time.

The storm's projected path (which changes regularly) plots a course through the middle of Brooklyn.

11.11 (06.11 EDT) Irene is currently in New Jersey, with winds of 75 mph.

11.04 (06.04 EDT) Oh the life of a TV weather reporter.

In the below video, Tucker Barnes reports for WTTG from a sea wall, where he thinks he's getting covered by "some kind of organic matter".

Well, that's one way of describing raw sewage...

10.43 (05.43 EDT) Two people have been rescued after a boat sunk in rought waters off the Virginia Coast:

10.35 (05.35 EDT) Tornado warnings have been issued for New York boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.

Local airports there have already already recorded winds of over 60 miles per hour.

10.17 (05.17 EDT) New York's Mayor Bloomberg has given a press conference in which he states "the time for evacuation is over".

The Mayor tells New York residents to stay in their homes and ride out the storm together:

10.14 (05.14 EDT) Jon Swaine reports of a new post-Katrina rescue measure that's being carried out in parts of New York:

Residents of Quogue, New York, who refused to leave their homes were visited by firemen and made to write their social security number on their arms in marker pen, in case they were later discovered dead.

09.45 (04.45 EDT) A second nuclear power station has been forced offline.

Following the shut down at Calvert Cliffs (see 08.42), Exelon Corp has taken its Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in New Jersey offline.

No reason has yet been given.

09.11 (04.11 EDT) Understandably, much of today's focus will be on Irene - but it's worth remembering Typhoon Nanmadol is currently wreaking havoc in south east Asia.

Ten people have already died in the Philippines. The category 3 typhoon is now on its way to Taiwan, where the rain may cause mudslides.

09.09 (04.09 EDT) Around 750,000 households in Maryland are currently without power.

08.58 (03.58 EDT) New York has already seen 4 inches of rain. Irene is still over 100 miles away.

08.50 (03.50 EDT) Looks as though the hurricane has reached Long Island. CNN's Rob Marciano tweets:

Good morning. The winds have arrived on Long Island. Gusts now over 50 mph at JFK. #Irene

I expect the center of #Irene to make landfall here on Long Beach between 10a-12p

08.43 (03.43 EDT) 911 calls will now probably not be answered in Ocean City (east Delaware), according to CNN.

08.42 (03.42 EDT) An "unusual event" has occured at Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant, causing the unit one reactor to automatically shut down.

A piece of aluminum slid down and came in contact with the reactor causing it to automatically go offline, a spokesman said. The spokesman confirmed that the unit was now safe and secure.

An "unusual event" is the lowest of four emergency classifications. The nuclear facility's other reactor, unit 2, is stable and operating at 100 per cent power.

In the map below, the green arrow shows Calvert Cliffs' location, roughly 100 miles east of Ocean City.

View Larger Map

08.40 (03.40 EDT) An update on the main developments overnight:

• 10 dead and two million without power including 36,000 in New York
• New York City on lock down. Anyone who failed to evacuate now told to stay inside and stay away from windows.
• Irene moving north-northeast at 17mph (28 kph) with wind gusts of 115mph
• Storm currently 195 miles south of New York City

08.35 (03.35 EDT) The storm hit North Carolina around 2pm BST yesterday, and has continued along its path north since then. As current projects stand, it's due to start moving through New Jersey and then New York in about four hours time - 8am EDT.

08.32 BST (03.32 EDT) Good morning and welcome to our Sunday coverage of Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene: August 27 as it happened