Parts of the US Mid Atlantic region and South experienced the first winter storm of the year on Monday, prompting the closure of government offices and Covid-19 testing sites and compounding travellers' misery as thousands more flights were cancelled.
Wind gusts of up to 56 kilometres per hour and up to 25 centimetres of snow have been forecast for the Washington area, the National Weather Service reported.
“Very intense snowfall rates” at 5 centimetres per hour are expected to blanket the area, the Weather Prediction Centre tweeted.
The snow is expected to pile on to the problems already faced by travellers, who faced major disruptions over the holiday season. More than half of the flights into and out of major airports in the Washington metropolitan area were either delayed or cancelled on Monday, website FlightAware showed.
More than 2,000 flights coming into, out of, or travelling within the US had been cancelled as of 10am EST on Monday.
The hazardous conditions even affected President Joe Biden's travel plans: the US leader had to travel by motorcade from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to the White House after his helicopter was grounded.
The mayor of Washington on Sunday night declared an emergency as the snowstorm bore down on the US capital. Federal offices and many Covid-19 testing sites announced they would close due to the weather.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm. Up to 20cm of snow is expected to fall on southern New Jersey a day after portions of the tri-state area — which covers parts of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut — experienced record-breaking high temperatures for winter.
More than 800,000 customers were without power on Monday morning, according to The Weather Channel's Power Outage Tracker. Over 300,000 outages have been reported in Virginia alone.
In North Carolina, 164,000 customers woke up without power. The south-eastern US state, which reported record-breaking winter heat days ago, is expected to experience rainfall and freezing cold air as temperatures plunge.
And more than 1.5 million people along the coast are under a tornado watch.
Snow began falling on Sunday night in parts of Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee. As much as 15cm accumulated in northern Alabama, where authorities reported that multiple roads were blocked because of icy spots and wrecks, and businesses, schools and government offices delayed opening until midmorning to allow time for temperatures to rise above freezing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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