Parts of the US East Coast have been battered by blizzard conditions and heavy snowfall, sparking transport chaos and power cuts for thousands.

Five states declared an emergency hours before piles of snow and high winds blasted the area on Saturday.

Some areas of Massachusetts have seen as much as 2.5ft (75cm) of snow, with locals told to hunker down inside.

Nearly 6,000 US flights were cancelled across the weekend, with conditions expected to lighten on Sunday.

Forecasters warn cold temperatures will remain a problem throughout much of the north-east, with the snowstorm set to move on to the state of Maine.

The storm, known as a Nor'easter, has hit parts of New York and Massachusetts with heavy snowfall, coastal flooding and blizzard conditions.

The city of Boston got 23.6in (60cm) of snow on Saturday - matching a previous one-day record.

By Saturday night, more than 80,000 homes in the state of Massachusetts were still without electricity.

Cape Cod was one of the worst-hit regions, with every customer in the town of Provincetown losing power on Saturday. Coastal storm surge flooding was also reported in Nantucket.

Local meteorologist Matthew Cappucci told the BBC the sheer volume of snow was a problem, with 8-10cm of snow falling each hour at one point.

"No road crew in the world could handle this, and that means all the roadways are essentially shut down."