A powerful winter storm has struck the north-east United States, placing nearly 60 million people under weather warnings. States of emergency have been declared across multiple states and forcing a travel ban in New York City as heavy snow, fierce winds and coastal flooding batter the region.
The storm began lashing the region on Sunday (22 February) evening and is forecast to continue into Monday, with the heaviest impact expected across New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Forecasters say it could be the most powerful winter storm to hit much of the north-east in nearly a decade.
Around 40 million people are under blizzard warnings and another 19 million under winter storm warnings stretching from the central Appalachians to coastal Maine.
Snowfall rates of 5–8cm per hour (2–3 inches) are forecast, with total accumulations of 30-60cm (1-2 feet) widely expected and up to 71cm (28 inches) in some areas. Winds along the coast could gust between 65 and 70 mph, raising the risk of downed trees, power cuts and coastal flooding.
New York City, under its first blizzard warning in nine years, is forecast to receive 46-61cm of snow (18-24 inches), with temperatures falling to about -6C (20F).
Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency and imposed a full travel ban across the five boroughs from 2100 local time on Sunday until midday Monday, closing streets, highways and bridges except for emergency vehicles. Schools were cancelled and Broadway performances suspended.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide emergency and activated around 100 National Guard members, warning that Long Island, New York City and the lower Hudson Valley were in the direct path of the storm.
In New Jersey, Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency, halted public transport services and introduced a mandatory overnight travel ban.
Thousands of residents were already without electricity. States of emergency were also declared in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island, where officials urged residents to stay at home and closed government offices.
More than 20,000 customers in New Jersey were without power, with further outages reported in Virginia, Delaware and Maryland. Nearly 3,900 flights were cancelled nationwide on Sunday, including more than 1,700 in the New York metropolitan area, and hundreds more were delayed.
New York’s subway system operated on a modified service, while the Long Island Rail Road and parts of New Jersey Transit suspended operations.
In Connecticut, commercial vehicles were barred from highways until further notice. Schools in Boston and districts near Washington, DC, also closed or delayed opening.
The storm is also affecting eastern Canada, with parts of Nova Scotia under an orange weather warning through early Tuesday.
Officials across the north-east warned residents to avoid unnecessary travel, remain indoors and prepare for prolonged power outages as the blizzard intensifies overnight.
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resum...
A state of emergency was declared in the district of Summerland, British Columbia, early on Saturday as a fast-moving wildfire swept through western C...
Typhoon Dolphin lashed Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people, disrupting flights and leaving more than 50,000 buildin...
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 8th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are progressing and suggested an agreement with Iran could be reached “soon”.
U.S. President Donald Trump may have to accept concessions he previously opposed if he wants to secure a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to analysts, as negotiators move closer to a temporary agreement.
Typhoon Dolphin lashed Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people, disrupting flights and leaving more than 50,000 buildings without power, as China shut ports and suspended transport services ahead of the storm’s expected arrival on its east coast.
The U.S. has made its visa bond programme permanent for citizens of 50 countries, requiring some business and tourist visa applicants to pay refundable deposits of up to $20,000. Several Central Asian countries remain on the list, but Uzbekistan is not.
Kazakhstan is set to become the first country in Central Asia to introduce electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis into its transport system.
The wreckage of a Pan American Airways passenger plane that crashed in 1952 has been located on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean after a seven-year investigation led by the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Discovery Channel, according to a recent press release.
Afghanistan and Türkiye are considering a tourism agreement to promote historic and religious sites, ease travel and train tourism workers, Afghan authorities said after talks in Kabul on Monday.
The European Union's General Court has dismissed Ryanair's appeals against an Italian state aid scheme approved by the European Commission in 2020 to support airlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment