Over 2,200 flights cancelled in US as major storm hits East Coast

People walk past a restaurant surrounded by temporary flood barriers ahead of a forecast storm in Boston. (Photo: Reuters)

A major winter storm struck the US East Coast on Friday, bringing heavy rain, snow and strong winds and leading to the cancellation of more than 2,200 flights and closure of the United States (US) government offices in Washington.

According to the website FlightAware, more than 2,200 flights were cancelled within, into or out of the US on Friday and more than 760 others delayed.

The National Weather Service of US said that coastal flooding was possible from New Jersey to Massachusetts with winter weather advisories, winter storm warnings and high wind warnings in effect from the Northeast to the Mid-Atlantic.

The storm dumped more than a foot of snow in western and northern parts of New York state, with heavy rain forecast for coastal areas before the storm tapers off by early Saturday.

Nearly half the flights scheduled to arrive and depart from New York's LaGuardia airport were cancelled, with sweeping cancellations also in effect at Boston Logan International and New York's two other area airports, Newark and John F Kennedy International.

New York, the US financial capital and most populous city that is home to 8.5 million people, was expected to avoid heavy snow but instead forecast to receive two to three inches of rain and wet snow (six centimeters), with wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour).

New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo warned that Long Island and New York City would see winds of 40 miles per hour with gusts as high as 70 possible in eastern Long Island, with the potential to cause tree damage and power outages.

(With AFP inputs)