4 September 2010 Last updated at 20:02 ET

Tropical storm Earl hits Canada's coast at Nova Scotia

About 200,000 homes has lost power after the storm hit

Tropical Storm Earl has hit the eastern Canadian coast, following a rapid acceleration.

One man died in the province of Nova Scotia after securing a boat that had slipped its moorings, police said.

The storm has brought high winds and heavy rain, toppling trees and power lines through the region and cutting electricity to about 200,000 homes.

Earl was moving quickly north-east, with sustained winds of 102km/h, the Canadian Hurricane Centre said.

Canadian authorities said Earl made landfall near the boundary between Shelburne and Queens counties at about 1030 (1330 GMT).

Police said Johnny Mitchell Jr, 54, had died trying to swim ashore after helping secure a loose boat in Blind Bay, 25km from Halifax.

Roads throughout Nova Scotia, including in the main city of Halifax, were littered with fallen trees. Power cuts were reported across the province.

The hurricane centre issued a tropical storm warning for parts of Newfoundland as Earl approached the province.

Earlier, Hurricane Earl was downgraded to a tropical storm as it travelled up the east coast of the US.

Strong winds and heavy rain lashed Long Island and Cape Cod as the storm passed by.

Officials said the storm caused only minor flooding and power cuts on the US mainland.

On Monday, the then-Hurricane Earl battered north-eastern Caribbean islands and Puerto Rico, causing power cuts and flooding.