THE IRISH EMBASSY in Washington DC remained shut yesterday following the closure of all US Federal Government buildings as superstorm Sandy continues to rumble through the East Coast.

A separate announcement about today’s opening hours will be made later this morning.

Meanwhile, a number of flights between the US and Ireland have been cancelled because of the onslaught of wind and rain, which has claimed 13 lives in the region.

Delta and Aer Lingus flights to New York have been cancelled this morning. Flights from the two airlines due to arrive from New York this morning were also cancelled because of the severe weather conditions.

United Airlines services, including tomorrow morning’s flight, from Newark in New Jersey and Washington DC have been cancelled. Outbound flights from Dublin to Washington and Newark will not fly today.

Aer Lingus flights from Boston for today were also cancelled but Aer Lingus has not yet updated its status for this afternoon’s . There are also no details yet about tomorrow’s flights but passengers have been advised to check with their operators before travelling to the airport.

Stock trading will be closed in the US for a second day today — the first time the New York Stock Exchange will be closed for two consecutive days due to weather since 1888, when a blizzard struck the city.

Superstorm Sandy: Batters US east coast, at least 16 dead

LIVE: Watch the Weather Channel’s coverage of Hurricane Sandy

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