A snowplow moves past a grounded passenger jet on the tarmac at Halifax International Airport, February 1, 2006. A major snowstorm grounded all flights in and out of the city as up to 50 cm of snow fell in parts of Nova Scotia.  (Xinhua/Reuters)

OTTAWA, Feb. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- An intense winter storm is pounding Canada's Atlantic provinces, battering the region with high winds and storm surges and causing school closures, power outages and flooding, local media reported on Wednesday.

    Earlier, Environment Canada issued blizzard and storm surge warnings for Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and parts of Newfoundland provinces, saying the combination of high waves and elevated water levels could lead to flooding in places along the shoreline, according to a notice on the agency's website.

    Periods of blustering snow are expected to taper off to flurries over southwestern regions of Nova Scotia by the morning, but will persist into the afternoon for the mainland, and well into the evening for Cape Breton, the notice said.

    Schools, business and government offices have been closed in many parts of Nova Scotia while most flights have been delayed or cancelled at Halifax International Airport, reports reaching here said.

    The Halifax area has already received about 20 centimetres, but meteorologists are calling for another 10 to 15 centimetres through the day.

    Northeast Nova Scotia is expected to receive nearly 30 centimetres by day's end, while southwest regions in the province are expected to receive nearly 15 centimetres.

    There were reports of small power outages affecting a few hundred customers in parts of Shelburne and Guysborough counties.

    

Morning commuters fight high winds and snow as they make their way up George street in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia , February 1, 2006. A major snowstorm dropped up to 50 cm in some areas of the province resulting the grounding of all flights at Halifax International Airport.  (Xinhua/Reuters)

Minor flooding had also been reported along Liverpool harbour on the south shore, however, it cleared up when the tide went down.

    Meanwhile, snowfall is blanketing southern Newfoundland as the storm continues to push northward.

    In southern Newfoundland, driving on the Burin and southern Avalon peninsulas was perilous, and schools were closed in much ofthe region.

    As many as 50 centimetres of snow are expected to bury the Avalon by Thursday morning.

    Blizzard warnings are also posted for Newfoundland's south coast,with gusts expected to be as high as 70 kilometres an hour over inland parts of the island, and up to 120 kilometres an hour over southern coastal sections.

    The intense low pressure system that is causing the storm is expected to move well out to sea on Thursday, Environment Canada said. Enditem