Nearly 500,000 wake up with no power after Christmas Eve storm batters east coast

Winds and heavy rain cancel 250 flights and delay more than 750

Nearly 500,000 wake up with no power after Christmas Eve storm batters East Coast (NBC4)

Thousands of people woke up without power on Christmas Day after winter storm Harold dumped snow and torrential rain across the US.

Around 420,000 households were impacted as the bad weather barreled its way across the east coast.

A quarter of those homes alone were in New York, with New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania also battered by strong winds and heavy rain.

Much of the north-east was under a wind advisory on Friday with Boston expected to experience hurricane-strength gusts of up to 75mph.

By Friday afternoon there were more than 750 flight delays across the US and nearly 250 flight cancellations, according to Flight Aware.

The National Weather Service says that the heavy rain could change to snow on Saturday and has warned of flash-floods in the region.

The storm caused blizzards and made for treacherous travelling conditions as it earlier hit the Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa.

Three people, including a four-year-old child, were killed in a Nebraska crash when their SUV crossed Interstate 80 and collided with a truck.