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Thomas Cook diverts flights to avoid Hurricane Matthew

Thomas Cook was forced to move hundreds of holidaymakers in Cuba this week as Hurricane Matthew caused the island to be placed on a state of alert.

The operator transferred 570 guests due to travel home more than 200 miles to Cayo Coco as Holguin airport was closed.

Passengers who flew in on Cook flights on Monday and Tuesday were rerouted from Holguin to Cayo Coco to avoid the hurricane.

On Tuesday, the company was monitoring the situation ahead of the next scheduled flights to Holguin today (Thursday).

A Thomas Cook spokeswoman said: “Hotels in Cuba are very experienced in dealing with issues of this kind and have tried-and-tested hurricane procedures.”

Flights to Jamaica were also delayed on Tuesday as the storm ripped through the Caribbean, killing seven people in Haiti. Thomson delayed two flights to Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Tuesday as a precaution.

A Tui spokeswoman said: “Our dedicated resort teams in Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic are working with the authorities and hoteliers to ensure everyone is looked after and kept updated.”

Sandals said the storm bypassed its Jamaican resorts but a “handful” of guests in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands had experienced bad weather.

In the US, states of emergency were declared in North Carolina and Florida, where governor Rick Scott warned residents to prepare for a direct hit, while in South Carolina the Red Cross called for volunteers to be ready to build evacuation centres if needed.

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises all cancelled stops in the Bahamas as a result of the storm.

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