Hurricane Maria closed in on the US Virgin Islands late Tuesday as the US National Hurricane Center warned of a "potentially catastrophic" impact from a storm that has already killed at least two people in the Caribbean.

Hurricane Maria strengthened into a "potentially catastrophic" Category Five storm as it barrelled into eastern Caribbean islands still reeling from Irma, forcing residents to evacuate in powerful winds and lashing rain.

After a succession of mixed messages on the U.S. stance on climate change, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said overnight that the Trump administration was seeking "ways in which we can work with partners in the Paris climate accord."

"We want to be productive, we want to be helpful," Tillerson said on the CBS program "Face the Nation."

Hurricane Maria barrelled towards the storm-battered eastern Caribbean and was expected to strengthen on Monday as it churned along a path similar to that of megastorm Irma earlier in the month. 

The new storm, which the US National Hurricane Center warned could become a "major hurricane", threatens the French territory of Guadeloupe, which was the staging area for relief operations for several islands hit by Irma.

The White House has pushed back at a European suggestion it was softening its stance on the Paris climate accord, insisting Washington will withdraw from the agreement unless it can re-enter on more favorable terms.

Shaken residents in central Vietnam were piecing their homes and businesses back together Saturday after a powerful typhoon hammered large swathes of coast and killed at least four people.  

Some 30 environment ministers will push forward on the Paris climate accord at a meeting Saturday requested by Canada, China and the European Union.

Heavy rain and wind lashed Vietnam's central coast Friday as Typhoon Doksuri made landfall, prompting mass evacuations as officials predicted it could be the most powerful storm in a decade.

Greek officials botched their response to a minor oil spill that is now threatening beaches near Athens five days after the suspicious sinking of a tanker, environmental groups said Thursday as calls mounted for the competent minister to resign.

A strong typhoon lashed islands in southern Japan Thursday, packing gusts of up to 252 kilometres an hour and leaving thousands without power as it headed towards the mainland.