OTTAWA, Sept 16, 2011 (AFP) - Hurricane Maria made landfall in Canada's eastern Newfoundland Friday, but its worst winds remained offshore and it was quickly downgraded to a tropical storm without causing major damage. Environment Canada, the country's official weather service, said Maria made landfall over the Southern Avalon Peninsula near Cape St. Mary's between 3:30 and 4:00 pm (1800-1830 GMT) before weakening to a post-tropical cyclone northeast of Newfoundland.
All related hurricane and tropical storm warnings were discontinued for Newfoundland, though wind warnings remained in effect for much of the province late Friday as "very strong westerly winds" gusting up to 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour) were expected as the remains of Maria move off the coast of Labrador. The US National Hurricane Center said Maria was now moving northeastward at 93 kilometers (58 miles) per hour, a motion expected to continue until the storm is absorbed into a cold front later Friday. It said coastal flooding was expected to subside overnight.
At 2100 GMT, the eye of the storm was about 235 kilometers (145 miles) north-northeast of Cape Race in Newfoundland. According to Environment Canada, the storm dumped 6.3 centimeters (2.5 inches) on St. Lawrence, 2.4 centimeters (6.1 inches) on Burgeo, three centimeters (1.2 inches) on Argentia and 2.9 centimeters (1.1 inches) on Terra Nova Park. Southwestern Grand Banks got peak wind gusts of 124 kilometers (77 miles) per hour), Cape Pine got 103 kilometers (64 miles) per hour and Winterland got 93 kilometers (58 miles) per hour, according to the weather service.
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