More than 5,000 flights cancelled as US east coast digs out of record snow

A major snow storm hit the US east coast on Monday with record-breaking snow, causing disruptions for millions and thousands of flight cancellations.

Parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts have seen nearly 33in (83cm) of snow fall, with more than19in in New York's Central Park, the National Weather Service said.

There have been "near impossible" travel conditions in New York, a state agency warned. More than 600,000 homes and businesses on the east coast endured power outages, with New Jersey and Massachusetts the worst hit.

Winter storm warnings stretched from North Carolina to northern Maine, with some warnings in place further north in parts of eastern Canada.

The snow was expected to persist throughout Monday, according to the National Weather Service, with some areas near the northeast coastline expected to get a total of 1ft to 2ft (61cm) of snow by Tuesday morning.