Hurricane Bill Spins Offshore

EDGARTOWN, Mass. - Hurricane Bill taunted the New England coastline from a distance Sunday, after closing beaches and setting off a string of safety warnings for weekend boaters, swimmers and surfers along the eastern seaboard.

President Barack Obama took no chances and planned a later arrival for his family vacation at Martha's Vineyard. Early Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said the tropical storm warning was lifted for the Massachusetts coastline, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

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Forecasters said that the hurricane was moving away from the New England coast offshore and closer to Nova Scotia, and was expected to approach Newfoundland by Sunday night. By early Sunday, it was about 175 miles (285 kilometers) south-southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Massachusetts coastline and a storm warning covered Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast.

Even as it weakened to a Category 1 hurricane Saturday, the tempest churned up rough seas and dangerous rip tides.

Dozens of arrival and departure flights at the Halifax airport in Nova Scotia were canceled Sunday, and a ferry service between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland was suspended for the day.

Provincial parks in Nova Scotia were shut down and people were advised to stay clear of beaches.

"The waves, they're very pretty to look at but very dangerous," said Barry Manuel of the Halifax Emergency Management Office.

The Canadian Hurricane Center said southwestern Nova Scotia could get whipped by 55 mph (88 kph) winds Sunday, while eastern regions of the province and Cape Breton Island of could see gusts of more than 60 mph (97 kph).

On Monday, the storm is expected to make landfall in Newfoundland, where tropical storm watches are in effect for the entire province, with the exception of the Northern Peninsula.

Early Sunday, the storm had maximum sustained winds near 85 mph (140 kph) and was moving 31 mph (50 kph) in a northeast direction. The storm is expected to weaken as it moves over cooler waters.

The Obamas delayed their planned Sunday morning departure from Andrews Air Force Base to Sunday mid-afternoon because of the weather, White House aides said. The worst of Bill was expected to pass east of Martha's Vineyard before the Obamas' arrival.

As plans changed Saturday for the first family, nearly all south-facing beaches on the island were closed to swimmers and large signs blocked roadways to shorefronts. Lifeguards used caution tape to rope off access points, and police patrolled the beach to enforce the closings.

The same high waves that worried safety officials, however, had surfers buzzing.

In Atlantic City, New Jersey, surfers gathered Saturday on beaches where 20-foot (6-meter) waves were expected. But only a few were willing to take their boards into the big swells.

Hurricane Bill moved past Bermuda earlier Saturday, leaving behind sunny skies, debris and flooding, but no casualties. The storm cut power to about 3,700 customers and flooded some roads. All ferry service was canceled until Sunday.

Meanwhile, forecasters said Sunday that Tropical Storm Hilda had strengthened slightly far out in the Pacific but was not threatening land. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and was about 2,025 miles (3,260 km) west-southwest of the tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, and 1,125 miles (1,810 km) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.

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Associated Press Writers Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, New Jersey; Karen Testa in Hull, Massachusetts; Jay Lindsay in Boston; Jennifer Peltz in New York; Amanda Dale in Hamilton, Bermuda; Rob Gillies in Toronto; and Gillian Gaynair in Washington contributed to this report.