Florida battered by hurricane

HURRICANE Nicole has made landfall on the east coast of Florida, battering the state with strong winds, a dangerous storm surge and heavy rain.

The rare November hurricane, which was downgraded to a tropical storm shortly after landfall, had already led officials to shut down airports and theme parks and order evacuations that included former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.

Authorities warned that Nicole’s storm surge could further erode many beaches hit by Hurricane Ian in September. The sprawling storm is then forecast to head into Georgia.