Atlantic

HMS Dragon diverted 500 miles to reach the 13 Britons and one American after the mast and rudder had broken off their 60ft (18m) yacht on Thursday.

The Clyde Challenger had been en route to the UK from the Azores after a four-month trip when it was damaged.

The navy's Type 45 Destroyer rescued the crew at 14:30 GMT on Saturday.

The Clyde Challenger was 610 miles south-west of Land's End when HMS Dragon arrived on Saturday.

'Desperate state'

The storm had weakened from a Category Four to a Category Three, but still had maximum sustained winds of more than 205km/h (125mph).

Teams are out clearing roads and repairing buildings and power lines.

Last week Hurricane Matthew devastated parts of Haiti, killing hundreds of people.

"At this point, there is no indication of any loss of life or serious injuries," Premier Michael Dunkley told Reuters news agency.

"Nicole is now racing away,'' said James Dodgson, deputy director at the Bermuda Weather Service.

Weather forecasters have upgraded Hurricane Matthew to category five, the highest on the scale of intensity.

Jamaican PM Andrew Holness has called an urgent meeting of parliament to discuss hurricane preparedness.

The storm is expected to make landfall by Monday.

Jamaica's palm-lined southern coast is expected to be hit first. The capital, Kingston, is located in the area, as is the country's only oil refinery.

Officials have warned the high winds could also batter the island's main tourist areas including Montego Bay in the north.

THE CAPTAIN:

Michael Davidson, captain, has been described by colleagues as an experienced leader and calm under pressure. Davidson charted the El Faro's course before Hurricane Joaquin swelled into a Category 4 storm. Davidson radioed that the ship had lost power Thursday before officials say it sank in 15,000 feet of water.

Davidson earned a captain's license before he ever went to college at Maine Maritime Academy.

The storm's maximum sustained winds Monday morning increased to near 50 mph (80 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center says additional strengthening is forecast during the next day or so followed by slight weakening on Wednesday.

Ida is centered about 995 miles (1601 kilometers) east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and is moving north-northwest near 7 mph (11 kph).

Meanwhile, a tropical depression is bringing heavy rain as it moves inland from the Pacific over Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

The hurricane's maximum sustained winds Friday had increased to near 115 mph (185 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the hurricane is not expected to intensify, and a weakening trend is forecast to begin later Friday.

The hurricane is centered about 900 miles (1448 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands.

Hurricane Danny doesn't currently pose a threat to land but the hurricane center says those in the Leeward Islands should monitor its progress.

Danny's maximum sustained winds Thursday morning have increased to near 75 mph (120 kph) and additional strengthening is forecast during the next two days.

The hurricane is centered about 1,090 miles (1,755 kilometers) east of the Windward Islands and is moving west-northwest near 12 mph (19 kph).

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Danny is a small storm with hurricane-force winds only extending outward up to 10 miles (20 kilometers) from the center.

The crew has urged vessels in the wide expanse of the Atlantic to report any potential clues they might spot.

The vague rule of thumb is that humans can survive three days without water and three weeks without food, one expert said, but examples defying that abound — especially if people have supplies, wear life jackets or can cling to something.

By Wednesday, it still wasn't clear if 14-year-olds Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos fell into any of those categories.