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‘Thousands of flights’ cancelled as winter storm hits US and Canada

Thousands of flights have been cancelled as parts of the US and Canada were hit by a severe winter storm.

More than 3,000 flights into and out of the two countries were cancelled on Sunday, according to the FlightAware data tracking website.

Charlotte Douglas international airport in North Carolina was among the worst hit, with almost 90% of flights scrapped, and a message on its website urged passengers to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport.

More than 80 million people have been placed under weather warnings with over 145,000 without power in some south-eastern states.

Virginia, Georgia, and North and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency.

The US National Weather Service warned that more than 1ft of snow is expected in some areas.

Snow and ice could result in “dangerous travel, power outages, and tree damage”, the NWS said.

Highway patrols reported hundreds of vehicle accidents, according to the Associated Press news agency.

There were also forecasts of possible coastal flooding in some areas, including in New York City and parts of Connecticut, with warnings that roads and infrastructure could be affected.

Storm warnings in Canada’s Ontario province were issued on Sunday morning for much of the south. Toronto, the capital of the province and Canada’s largest city, is forecast to get seven inches of snow, the BBC  reported.

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