Heavy rains, strong gusts, floods hinder one of busiest U.S. holiday travel days

Dec. 21 (UPI) -- A storm on Friday, perhaps the busiest air travel day of the holiday season, is impacting transportation across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

More than 8,000 flights were delayed and 260 were canceled nationwide on Thursday, largely due to storms in the East. On Friday, flights leaving Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed by more than an hour, 265 were scrapped and more than 3,000 delayed across the country.

Although snowstorms are not part of the equation, heavy rain, poor visibility and strong winds across the East account for the delays, forecasters said.

The storm is moving northward, which indicates further problems on Saturday for Boston and New York City-area airports. Additionally, flash flood warnings were issued from Maine to North Carolina, potentially impacting 60 million commuters.

Flooding is expected to affect coastlines from South Carolina to Massachusetts, and forecasters said as many as 5 inches of rain could hit some areas. Rain is expected to leave the Atlanta area by Friday, and the Washington, D.C., area by early Saturday.

Some regions on the East Coast were under wind advisories Friday, with the New York City area anticipating winds of up to 60 mph.

The conditions are the result of a low pressure system moving from Florida toward the Northeast. Heavy rain, including thunderstorms, and gusty winds are expected as the storm travels, with wet snow possible in northern Maine and the Great Lakes areas.