TORONTO – Air Canada has issued a travel alert for travellers destined for Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and parts of the northeastern United States.
The alert was issued shortly after 3 p.m. EST on Air Canada’s Twitter account Thursday and remained in effect Friday, warning passengers their flights may be impacted by a hurricane battering the Caribbean.
Hurricane Irene pounded the Bahamian islands, packing powerful winds 185 kilometres per hour. The category 3 storm is expected to grow to a category 4 as it moves towards North America.
Forecasters expect the destructive storm to hit the shores of North Carolina by Saturday before tracking north up the east coast from Virginia to New York City and New England.
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Delta Airlines is expected to announce further flight cancellations Friday.
Passengers travelling to North Carolina, South Carolina can change their flights without penalty. Those headed to or from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and parts of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington will also be able to change their flights penalty-free.
The powerful hurricane is expected to impact domestic and international flights throughout the weekend as it nears the U.S. eastern seaboard.
Canadians are also bracing for Irene, but the Canadian Hurricane Centre says it’s still too early to say what kind of impact the storm will have on the Maritimes.
The Canadian Hurricane Centre forecasts the storm to hit parts of New Brunswick and Quebec on Sunday.
Officials expect significant rainfall in all three Maritime provinces and parts of Quebec.
Irene barreled through Turks and Caicos late Tuesday as a category 1 hurricane, blowing off roofs, flooding roads and downing power lines.
Landslides were reported in Puerto Rico, where Irene brought some damage and heavy flooding.
For the latest travel information from Air Canada, visit the airline’s website, www.aircanada.com.
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With files from The Associated Press
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