Laura weakens inland to a tropical depression

The US National Hurricane Center has downgraded Laura to a tropical depression as the storm system crosses Arkansas.

Maximum sustained winds were recorded at 35 miles per hour (55 kilometres per hour) late on Thursday, according to the hurricane center’s 2200 CDT (0300 GMT) update.

Forecasters said Laura was centred about 30 miles (50 kilometres) north-northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Laura smashed across the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 hurricane early on Thursday.

The system maintained hurricane strength for about 11 hours before being downgraded to a tropical storm.

The Miami-based center said the storm system was expected to continue moving over Arkansas in the night and then on into the mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday before reaching the mid-Atlantic States on Saturday.

It said the system would dump heavy rains in spots, raising the risk of flash floods.

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