Hurricane Milton: Biden delays reception with Taoiseach

The US President has delayed a reception with the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) in Washington DC on Wednesday due to Hurricane Milton.

The storm is expected to reach Florida around the time a reception was scheduled to mark the centenary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the United States.

Joe Biden and Simon Harris are still planning to meet in the Oval Office but the reception in the Rose Garden has been postponed.

A spokesperson for the Taoiseach said that he will proceed with all other parts of his programme in Washington.

Biden had formally invited the taoiseach to visit Washington during the UN General Assembly in New York.

A spokesperson for the Taoiseach said that President Biden and Taoiseach Simon Harris spoke on Monday night.

The spokesperson said “the President asked that they would proceed as planned at the Oval Office on Wednesday but, given the grave threat posed in the United States by Hurricane Milton, they would postpone the reception in the Rose Garden until a later date”.

They confirmed that the taoiseach will proceed with all other parts of his program in Washington.

US officials have warned of the threat to life posed by the hurricane, which briefly became a category five storm before returning to category four.

Hurricane Milton is gathering ferocious winds of up to 155mph (250km/h) as it moves past the northern edge of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.

Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) have said “potentially catastrophic” storm surges are possible along coastal areas.

Floridians have been told to prepare for the state’s largest evacuation effort in years.