Hurricane Matthew edged ever closer to Florida on Friday with torrential rains and up to 190 kilometer-per-hour winds after a blast through the Caribbean that left more than 300 people dead in Haiti.

Matthew was downgraded to a Category Three storm early in the day by the National Hurricane Center, as its wind speed dropped slightly. But Florida still faced its most dangerous hurricane in living memory.

It was not clear if it would be a direct hit or more of a sideswiping blow, which could still be catastrophic.