Storm-battered New York and New Jersey ordered the evacuation of some areas devastated by deadly Superstorm Sandy as strong wind rain and sleet threatened to lash the region on Wednesday, closing parks and beaches and halting outside construction work. The looming bad weather has New York and New Jersey on edge again as the US Northeast struggles to recover from former hurricane Sandy  which killed at least 120 in the United States and Canada when it struck on October 29 as a rare hybrid storm. 

New York City has ordered the evacuation of some low-lying hard-hit areas  including the Rockaways section of Queens and the south shore of Staten Island - home to nearly half of the 40 people killed in New York City by Sandy - while residents of at least two New Jersey towns have also been told to leave.

Meanwhile, United Airlines and American Airlines suspended all flights to and from the New York area for one day on Wednesday in response to gale force winds. The severe weather, with cold rain and winds gusting to a maximum of 96kmh, came a week after hurricane-strength storm Sandy wreaked serious damage on the region and caused travel chaos.