Thousand of British holidaymakers in Jamaica appear to have escaped the worst of Hurricane Dean, with the storm passing further south than initially feared.

With the island's main airports closed, tourists on Sunday had little choice than to seek shelter in resorts with "hurricane-proof walls" - schools, churches and indoor sports arenas - and hope for the best.

But with the storm's path passing south of Jamaica, early reports indicate that while the main holiday resorts experienced heavy winds and rain, there were no reports of any injury to British visitors.

The more southerly direction of Hurricane Dean now expected may also mean that the main holiday areas of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula are likely to miss the worst of the storm in the coming days.

But focus is now being drawn towards the Cayman Islands where tourists have been evacuated and a curfew imposed.

The hurricane is expected to pass to the south of the British territory later on Monday, but the Government said it still posed a "significant threat" to the islands.

Cayman Islands Governor Stuart Jack said all but 1,500 tourists had been moved out by yesterday afternoon and 19 storm shelters had been set up for anyone without a safe place to go.