Hurricane Matthew closes in on Florida as Haiti death toll rises

Drivers make their way on an empty highway prior to the arrival of Hurricane Matthew in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S

Washington D.C.: Matthew, the first major hurricane threatening a direct hit on the United States in more than 10 years, closed in on Florida on Thursday after killing at least 339 people in Haiti on its destructive march north through the Caribbean.

Carrying extremely dangerous winds of 130 mph (215 kph), the storm pounded the northwestern part of the Bahamas en route to Florida's Atlantic coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.