Hurricane Sandy remains on course to hit Canada tonight with howling winds and drenching rain after blowing through the U.S. eastern seaboard.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre expects the so-called Frankenstorm to punish parts of southern and eastern Ontario and western Quebec with potentially damaging winds up to 100 kilometres per hour. The Centre says rainfall amounts will vary from 20 millimetres in some areas to well over 50 millimetres in others.  And it says that rain could change into snow over central Ontario.

The latest forecast says the rain is not expected to reach the southwestern Maritimes until Tuesday morning, but could persist into Wednesday with total amounts exceeding 50 millimetres.
    

Seven metre waves could lash the Great Lakes, especially southern Lake Huron, and large waves are also expected to pound Nova Scotia's south shore.

It is a massive storm with tropical storm-force winds that extend some 800 kilometres from its centre.

Sandy was blamed for at least 60 deaths as it churned across the Caribbean.

Photo Credit: Associated Press