(EXTREME WEATHER) HURRICANE IRENE HITS NY

Hurricane Irene pummels New York amid fears of floodingThe menacing storm is moving slowly northwards


Ferocious winds from Hurricane Irene have begun to hammer New York, bringing torrential rain and the threat of flooding in the financial district.

New York City's public transport system has been closed and the mayor said it was now too late for people to leave.
Irene has already hit North Carolina and Virginia, causing damage and the deaths of at least eight people.
The eye of the storm, packing winds up to 75mph (120km/h), is due to hit New York in the next few hours.
The storm has weakened to a category-one hurricane since it came ashore but is still expected to be destructive.

About two million people have been left without power as the 500-mile-wide (800km) storm barrelled up the east coast.

The same number have moved out of the danger zone, most from New Jersey.

At 05:00 (09:00 GMT) the hurricane was moving along the New Jersey shore, about 115 miles south of New York City, having weakened slightly, the National Hurricane Center reported.
Some 370,000 people living in low-lying areas of New York City had been told to leave, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned those behind to stay put.
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