A powerful winter storm sweeping across the US Northeast forced widespread school closures and placed offices and public transit systems on emergency schedules, as officials warned of heavy snowfall, strong winds and hazardous travel conditions.

A powerful winter storm has begun battering the northeastern United States, placing nearly 59 million people under weather alerts, triggering widespread power outages, and prompting a travel ban in New York City.

A winter storm is expected to hit much of the north-east United States with rain, ice and heavy snowfall from Monday night through Tuesday, according to forecasters, leaving millions of Americans under winter storm advisories.

Heavy rains and flash flooding are expected to impact the Northeast, particularly along the I-95 corridor, as a combination of excessive moisture, lingering heat, and atmospheric dynamics push storms eastward. Areas from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and northern New Jersey face a significant risk of heavy downpours, with rainfall rates up to 3 inches per hour and localized totals reaching 5 to 8 inches. These storms also carry the threat of damaging winds and hail.

Tens of millions across major cities in the U.S. Northeast are enduring record-breaking temperatures on Tuesday, marking the peak of an intense heat wave that has gripped much of the country since late last week.

All three million children in Borno state in Northeast Nigeria are without school indefinitely, increasing the likelihood of child marriage and other protection risks, after being hit by the worst floods in 30 years, Save the Children said, News.Az reports.