Hurricane Irma latest – Cuban dolphins AIR LIFTED to safety as historic storm rages on

The sea creatures were residents at a dolphinarium in Cayo Guillermo, a small island north of Cuba under threat from the hurricane’s powerful 185mph winds.

They have been moved to safety in the province of Cienfuegos and placed in swimming pools which mirror their natural marine environment.

But if disaster strikes they could be moved again to a salt water pool at a nearby hotel.

Gonzalo Carrero Escobar, the manager of the dolphinarium, said: “For the moment they have been placed in a swimming pool offering similar conditions to their natural life.

“If the weather situation does not allow us to keep them there, they will be displaced to the salt water swimming pool of a hotel.”

Meanwhile, Florida Museum zookeepers have been attempting to catch butterflies to ensure that non-native species do not escape the enclosure.

In footage from the Florida Museum of Natural History, experts can be seen rushing around the butterfly rainforest enclosure as they swipe at the butterflies and trap them in nets.

Emergency services in Florida have warned residents they will stop answering to calls once Hurricane Irma’s deadly winds hit the state.

Pasco County public safety administrator Kevin Guthrie said:”If you have a heart attack, if you have a stroke, if you have some type of medical emergency, we will not come and help you.

“The emergency management standard is that once tropical storm force-winds get to 40 or 45 mph and are sustained for one minute or longer, your emergency services department ceases to respond to calls for service.

“We are asking people to go to a loved one’s house, evacuate the area, heed our warnings.”

The county is located in one of the areas expected to be hit by Hurricane Irma’s devastating force.

Irma, the strongest ever recorded Atlantic Ocean hurricane, is set to smash through Florida after it reaches landfall in Miami on Saturday, according to the NOAA National Hurricane Centre.