Weather tracker: US cities close schools and cancel flights amid heavy snowfall

Winter Storm Hernando swept across north-eastern parts of the US on Sunday and into the start of the week, bringing a blizzard to large parts of the region as heavy snowfall combined with gale-force winds. Blizzard warnings were issued for major cities including New York City, Portland and Boston, while more than 10,000 flights were cancelled and schools closed across several states. The storm intensified rapidly through Sunday, with coastal areas of Massachusetts and Rhode Island recording wind gusts of about 70mph, and Montauk Point in New York reporting stronger gusts of 84mph.

By Monday, snowfall totals had exceeded 38cm (15in) in parts, including Central Park and John F Kennedy international airport. Some communities experienced more than six consecutive hours of steady snowfall, with totals surpassing 76cm in parts of Massachusetts and on Long Island, New York. Rhode Island recorded as much as 96cm by Monday night, while Fall River, Massachusetts reached 1o4cm, making it one of the most significant snowstorms since 2016.