Hurricane Bill hits Canada's Atlantic coastline
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Hurricane Bill is wreaking havoc on Canada's Atlantic coastline regions, knocking out power to thousands of local residents, flooding roads and forcing flight cancellations.
The category 1 storm is packing winds of 120 kilometers per hour on Sunday afternoon in the southern regions of the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, reports reaching here said.
It has forced the cancellation of dozens of flights throughout the Atlantic region, including airports in Halifax, Moncton and New Brunswick.
Power outages were reported throughout Nova Scotia, affecting more than 21,000 customers, according to Nova Scotia Power. Some roadways in the province were closed.
Marine Atlantic also canceled its ferry runs between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland for the day, and public beaches throughout Nova Scotia were closed.
Heavy rainfall has prompted flooding in some local areas. By Sunday noon, southern Nova Scotia had already experienced up to 60millimeters of rain, while southern New Brunswick reported 20 to 40 mm.
The hurricane is expected to make landfall in Newfoundland early Monday, when Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will see fine sunny weather.
Bill traveled past Bermuda early Saturday, leaving behind flooded streets, debris and thousands without power.
Though no injuries were reported, the hurricane has reportedly disrupted travel plans of many people, including U.S. President Barack Obama.
(Xinhua News Agency August 24, 2009)
