Canada braces for Hurricane Maria

OTTAWA: Canada braced for Hurricane Maria early Friday, issuing a warning for southeastern Newfoundland and predicting the category one storm would make landfall by the afternoon.

Environment Canada, the country's official weather service, predicted strong winds and heavy rainfall across the Atlantic coast, warning of "far-reaching impacts of the combined weather systems well away from the track."

The US National Hurricane Center said Maria was packing winds of 80 miles per hour, with little change in strength expected until it hits land Friday afternoon.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011