A massive storm in the US is believed to have left around 500,000 homes without electricity over the weekend.

Reports claim snow level was up to three feet (0.9m) in some parts of the US and a state of emergency was declared in five states.

Hundreds of thousands of homes in the northeast lost power, with more than 200,000 affected in Massachusetts, more than 100,000 in Rhode Island and 30,000 in Connecticut, according to reports.

In a statement released yesterday, National Grid said it has restored power to more than 100,000 consumers in Massachusetts and 167,000 in Rhode Island.

Kathy Lyford, National Grid Vice President of New England Operations said: “The storm has passed and the sun is out but customers still need to be very careful if they are without power and as crews work in their neighborhoods. Customers need to take special care if using alternative sources of heat to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.”

A nuclear power station in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is also believed to have shut down due to the snow. According to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Pilgrim nuclear plant automatically shut down after losing power on Friday night. The plant operators declared it an “unusual event”, which is the lowest of four levels of the NRC’s emergency classification system but the regulators assured there is no threat to plant workers or public safety.