Hurricane Francine has slammed into Louisiana as a dangerous Category 2 storm, knocking out power to more than a quarter million customers and threatening a large stretch of the Gulf Coast with flooding and destructive winds.

Hurricane Hunter aircraft has confirmed that Francine is now a hurricane.

Francine has become a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico as it bears down on the Louisiana coast.

The NHC has highlighted two areas of interest in the Atlantic

Tropical Storm Francine has strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to make landfall as a hurricane at mid-week in Louisiana.