Hurricane Sandy Forces Google to Cancel Android Event

Google has canceled an event in New York due to Hurricane Sandy, where it was expected to launch a Nexus smartphone and tablet from LG and Samsung.

Originally scheduled for 3pm GMT today, 29 October, the event has been postponed over disruption expected to be caused by Hurricane Sandy, which is gathering speed and predicted to come within 100 miles of New York City.

In an official statement, Google said:

"We are cancelling our Monday morning event in New York due to Hurricane Sandy. We will let you know our plans as soon as we know more. Stay safe and dry, The Android Team."

Google was expected to unveil its Nexus 4 smartphone, as well as a 32 GB version of the Nexus 7 tablet. A Nexus 10 tablet, made in conjunction with Samsung, was also rumoured to appear at the event. A new date for the unveiling has not been confirmed.

Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 is also scheduled to be unveiled today at 5pm GMT, with events taking place in San Francisco and London.

Ahead of Hurricane Sandy, which is due to make landfall later today, a State of Emergency has been declared in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC and parts of North Carolina.

Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg has ordered mandatory evacuations of several areas of the city, with schools, transport links and the financial district now shutdown.

Over 3000 flights have been cancelled, with Hurricane Sandy expected to affect more than 50 million people.