Hurricane Earl heads northward

Hurricane Earl hit the barrier islands off North Carolina yesterday, causing flooding but no injuries and little damage.

It then headed up America's east coast, a weaker but still dangerous storm.

Earl dropped to a category one hurricane - down from a powerful category three just a day earlier - as it wheeled over open water, with winds of 85mph. It was expected to reach New England late last nights.

The storm howled past the North Carolina barrier islands known as the Outer Banks before daybreak, knocking out power to thousands and closing a road to a main bridge between the islands and the mainland. But its winds had dropped by then to 105mph from 145mph a day before.

Forecasters said Earl would stay 100 to 200 miles off New Jersey and Long Island as it made its way to New England.

But the storm could have a punishing effect even from a distance: Earl's hurricane-force winds extended 70 miles from its centre, and tropical storm-force winds of at least 39mph radiated out 205 miles.