The bodies of two children missing for three days after devastating floods in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia have been found by police.

The children were traveling in a car with three others when the vehicle became submerged over the weekend.

Authorities have also recovered the body of a 52-year-old man, while another youth remains missing.

The flooding was caused by the heaviest torrential rains to hit the Atlantic Canada region in 50 years.

Hundreds had been evacuated at one point and several highways, local roads and properties have been damaged.

The children were travelling in one car, while the man and the missing youth were travelling in another when both became submerged in flood waters.

They were all from the town of West Hants, north of Halifax, home to about 15,000 residents.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they recovered the bodies of one of the missing children on Tuesday morning, around 10:45 local time (14:45 BST).

The remains of the second child were found on Monday. Police did not confirm the ages of the children or the names of those dead and missing.

Three people survived after escaping from the car carrying the children, while two people escaped from the second car, which was carrying the man and the missing youth.

Both groups were trying to flee their homes at the time, local officer Sgt Rob Frizzell told a news conference.

“They were leaving their residences trying to get to a safe area and that’s when they were struck with the storm surge,” Sgt Frizzell said.

Authorities continue to search for the missing youth with the help of industrial pumps that have been used to lower water levels.

Nova Scotia was hit by 250 millilitres (9.8 inches) of rain in a 24-hour period – equivalent to what the province would usually see over a three-month period, said premier Tim Houston.

The province is still in a state of emergency, which has been in effect since late Saturday due to the floods.

Some roads remain flooded as of Tuesday, authorities said, and drivers have been cautioned to take extra care.

Twenty-five bridges have been affected, and six were completely destroyed in the floods.

The flooding is the latest extreme weather event to hit northeast Canada – recent wildfires have burnt a record area, sending clouds of smoke south into the US and destroying dozens of homes in Nova Scotia.