Ottawa has issued travel warnings in the wake of Hurricane Maria as the powerful storm intensified into a Category 5 hurricane.
Global Affairs is warning Canadians to "avoid all travel" to more than a dozen islands in the eastern Caribbean and is asking those on affected islands to "leave by commercial means while they are still available and if it is safe to do so".
On Monday, the Government of Canada updated its list of Travel Advice and Advisories to including warnings against all travel to:
Saint-Barthélemy
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Montserrat
Dominica
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Saint Lucia
Puerto Rico
Sint Maarten
Anguilla
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
British Virgin Islands
Saint Martin
Global Affairs also issued a statement recommending that all Canadians who are travelling abroad register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service, which is a free service used to notify travellers in case of an emergency or natural disaster.
As of Monday afternoon, Global Affairs said approximately 5,000 Canadians in the path of Hurricane Maria had already registered.
With files from CTV.