Full force of Irma demonstrated as storm chaser battles to stand against hurricane winds

The footage emerged as Hurricane Irma makes landfall in Florida. Photo / Twitter

A storm chaser has demonstrated the full force of Hurricane Irma as he attempted to stand up against its lashing winds in the Florida Keys.

Juston Drake, a meteorologist, was filmed stumbling backwards as he battled winds exceeding 100mph in Saddlebunch Keys, just off the mainland Florida.

@JustonStrmRider tearing it up! pic.twitter.com/VhC97GZJBa

— Simon Brewer (@SimonStormRider) September 10, 2017

Wearing a paintball mask, which was quickly ripped from his face, Mr Drake is almost blown off his feet at points as he attempts to get a wind speed reading.

The footage emerged as Hurricane Irma makes landfall in Florida, with the eyewall hitting the Keys, which are a string of islands off its south coast.

The Category 4 storm is making its way onto the state after laying waste to a number of islands and leaving at least 24 dead in the Caribbean.

Mr Drake was filmed by fellow storm chaser and meteorologist Simon Brewer. Shortly after posting the footage of Mr Drake, Mr Brewer also posted a picture of a handheld anemometer with a wind speed reading of 117mph.

The pair are part of a group of professional "storm riders", who pursue extreme weather phenomena.

Previously Mr Brewer has documented tropical cyclones including Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ike and hybrid super storm, Hurricane Sandy, in a career spanning over 15 years.

The video is some of the first footage of Irma hitting Florida. The hurricane is now heading up the west coast of the peninsula, with cities Tampa and St. Petersburg expected to bear the brunt.

Over 5 million people have been told to evacuate various areas of Florida in the last few days. Many of those who cannot escape to safer locations have crammed into designated shelters as they brace for the storm.