HALIFAX - Strong winds and rain were lashing parts of the Maritimes on Friday as a large low-pressure system moved into the northeastern United States and Hurricane Melissa accelerated toward eastern Newfoundland.

By noon Atlantic time, the Category 1 hurricane was about 700 kilometres southeast of Halifax, heading in a northeasterly direction at 70 kilometres per hour. Earlier in the day, the storm was churning out winds reaching 139 km/h.

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