DHAKA: Ice storms, heavy snowfall, possible tornadoes and the threat of flash floods are expected to create travel nightmares over the weekend in many parts of the United States, causing flight delays and unsafe road conditions for some of the millions of people travelling ahead of Christmas.

The National Weather Service on Saturday issued tornado watches for Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana, and warned of ice and sleet in upstate New York as well as snowfall for areas from Kansas to the Milwaukee region in southeast Wisconsin.

Some 85.8 million people will be on the roads between December 21 and New Year’s Day, and 5.5 million will fly, according to the automotive group AAA.

A massive storm system closed roads and hampered travel in southeast Missouri on Saturday with heavy rain totaling 3 to 6 inches, said Jim Sieveking, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in StLouis, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1603 HRS, DEC 22, 2013
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor