Hanna to cause heavy rainfall in Canadian Maritimes

The Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre has issued heavy rainfall warnings for southern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and northern and western Nova Scotia. It said 40 to 80 mm of rain is likely.

The storm is packing winds of 93 km/h with higher gusts. Gales are expected over Maritime waters south of the storm track on Sunday and will likely spread into Newfoundland waters Sunday night and early Monday, the hurricane centre said.

The winds are expected to bring wave heights near five metres in offshore regions by late Sunday.

The Red Cross says it has 800 volunteers on standby in the event Hanna causes serious flooding and forces people from their homes.

In Shubenacadie, N.S., Willie Versteeg, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, was looking out in frustration at what could be a rich crop.

He says the damp ground makes it impossible to operate machinery on his land without damaging the field.

"We haven't turned a (tractor) wheel in three weeks. We have a lot of forage still out in the field waiting to be cut and harvested and brought in for winter feed supply," said the farmer.

"We're more than a little bit worried at this stage of the game. We just don't have enough feed for winter storage."

Hanna soaked New York City on Sunday, dropping a month's worth of rain in just a few hours.

At least 75 millimetres of rain fell, flooding highways, delaying flights, halting the U.S. Open, and leaving thousands of customers without power.

The UN said the death toll from Hanna was "increasing hourly". About 650,000 people have been affected, including 300,000 children, and the task of delivering crucial aid has been complicated by dismal transport conditions, UNICEF says.