In pictures: Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike made its second landfall in Cuba, south of the capital, Havana, bringing fierce winds and torrential rains, before heading back out to sea.

The rim of the storm rattled the capital, as huge waves pounded the seafront promenade and strong winds felled trees - but the city did not take a direct hit as had been feared.

Nearly 1.25 million people across the country remain in makeshift shelters where they have been riding out the storm.

Only days ago the Hurricane Ike ravaged eastern parts of the island, damaging houses and destroying crops.

In Camaguey, Cuba's third-largest city, electricity poles were felled and older buildings reduced to rubble as the eye of the storm passed.

The power of Hurricane Ike was felt in Cuba long before it made landfall on Sunday, with storm surges hitting the coast.

The streets of some eastern towns were flooded, with rain and powerful winds hampering the clean-up effort.

Hurricane Ike has already left a trail of destruction, hitting the low-lying Caribbean Turks and Caicos islands late on Saturday. The prime minister said 80% of homes on the main islands had been destroyed.

Then a Category Four hurricane, it brought a storm surge 13-18ft (4-5.5m) above normal tide levels, enough to flood this street in Providenciales island.

Ike also brought devastation to Haiti, which has seen four storms in three weeks. At least 61 people died in flooding and mudslides in Cabaret, to the north of the capital Port-au-Prince.