Hurricane Matthew has passed over the Tiburon peninula in the southwest of Haiti, unleashing floods and knocking out electricity as the Category 4 storm continues north.

Matthew, the region’s biggest storm in nearly a decade, expected to cause extensive damage in Haiti, where much of the population lives in rudimentary housing.

Heavy rains and high winds will continue through the day, according to the National Hurricane Centre. Category 4 is the second-highest category of hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Cuba, the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands lie next in the storm’s path. Matthew is likely to continue along the United States Eastern Seaboard, and is increasingly likely to have a significant impact on coastal states. A hurricane watch is now in effect along much of Florida’s east coast.

Meanwhile, a trough of low pressure southeast of Bermuda today developed into Tropical Storm Nicole, with maximum sustained winds of 50mph.

Nicole is headed on a northwesterly course, and the Bermuda Weather Service has forecast rain and possible thunderstorms later this week.

As of noon, Nicole’s closest point of approach to Bermuda was 205nm to the island’s south by 9am on Friday.