PUERTO RICO

Hurricane Irene, growing dangerous by each passing day, left the northwestern Caribbean, triggering high waves and heavy downpours which left about one million people in the dark in Puerto Rico. According to official storm predictions, the United States' Southeast region is under threat of a potential landfall towards the end of the week.

Hurricane Irene may become a Category 4 storm by the time it reaches Florida on Friday. Although the worst of the hurricane is expected to hit off the Florida coast, parts of Broward and Palm Beach Counties are still in Irene's projected path.

Hurricane Irene continued its path of destruction on Monday with winds reaching up to 100 mph as it headed towards the U.S. The Category 2 storm left one million Puerto Rican people without power on Monday, wreaked havoc in the Dominican Republic, destroyed Richard Branson's Virgin Island home, and appears on a direct path for North and South Carolina.

Hurricane Irene is heading towards the U.S. East Coast and is forecast to make a possible landfall in mainland U.S. in Florida, Georgia or California by the end of the week.

Hurricane Irene in 2011 is looking to be a fierce one.

Hurricane Irene sustained 80 mph winds as the storm rocked the area just off the northeastern coast of Hispaniola. The National Hurricane Center expected Irene to continue gaining momentum over the next few days but by Thursday, forecasters said that it could be a major Category 3 hurricane with winds up to 115 mph.

Irene could make U.S. landfall before the weekend

Hurricane Irene may pass off the coast of Florida, according to updated path projections from the National Weather Service. The storm is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane with winds up to 115 mph.

A hurricane watch has also been issued for the central Bahamas.

NASA's satellite captures Irene from space and shows how it grew from a tropical storm to a hurricane.

The path of Hurricane Irene has forced both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines to shuffled the itineraries of their cruise ships.

800,000 electrical customers (half of the island) are without power. Also, almost 120,000 Puerto Ricans have no water service.

Hurricane Irene gained strength Monday morning and is heading toward Florida after pounding Puerto Rico. Heavy rain, flooding and mudslides are possible in the Caribbean before the storm is forecast to track through parts of the Bahamas from late Tuesday night through early Friday morning. Then, the storm is likely to hit Florida, possibly impacting the state with heavy rains and damaging winds for a couple of days.

Irene is a category 1 hurricane.

Hurricane Irene hits Puerto Rico and approaches Florida, rebels take over Libya's capital, charges may be dropped against Dominique Strauss-Kahn and more in Monday's daily scoop.

Hurricane Irene has strengthened over Puerto Rico, becoming the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic Season, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a statement on Monday.

Hurricane Irene is only skirting the northern coast of Hispaniola early Monday but the storm is heading toward the U.S. East Coast, where it could strike Florida on Wednesday night and Thursday. Forecast models show the entire state of Florida is at risk of days of heavy damaging winds and rain through Saturday.

Residents in Florida should be keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Irene, as it could strengthen into a hurricane and possible hit the state on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center, which also said the storm's path is uncertain.

A hurricane warning for Tropical Storm Irene was issued for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic as well as Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

A hurricane warning for Tropical Storm Irene was issued for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic as well as Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Tropical Storm Irene formed east of the Leeward Islands on Saturday and was expected to become a hurricane in the next two days heading on a northwestward track through the Caribbean that may threaten Florida.