HALIFAX – Canadian forecasters have their eyes on Tropical Storm Leslie, which is slowly churning north and could affect Nova Scotia or Newfoundland by early next week.
According to Global News meteorologist Trevor Adams, Leslie could pose a threat to mainland Nova Scotia (Halifax northward) and P.E.I. or Cape Breton as soon as Monday.
He says there are a variety of storm path projections, but there is no clear take on exactly where the storm will go.
The storm will be a concern for Atlantic Canadians over the course of the coming week as it is except to reach and maintain hurricane strength while it edges closer to the region, Adams adds.
Chris Fogarty, with the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Halifax, said in a statement Tuesday Leslie is expected to intensify as it gradually heads north.
But, the storm is only expected to travel 500 kilometres over four days.
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Fogarty said that is “basically a person’s average speed of walking.”
Leslie is currently about 840 kilometres south-southeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 105 km/h.
“There is much (more than usual) uncertainty in the predicted path/intensity over the next week,” he added.
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Forecast models released Tuesday afternoon project Leslie developing into a hurricane, when maximum sustained wind speed tops 119 km/h .
Water temperatures in the North Atlantic have been significantly warmer than usual for much of the summer.
That means if Leslie makes its way to Canada’s east coast it could maintain its hurricane strength.
At this point, Adams predicts the storm will potentially graze or even impact central/northern N.S. and Cape Breton before moving towards Newfoundland.
But, he stresses the track can change dramatically over the course of a few days and Atlantic Canadians need to monitor this storm closely.
Nova Scotia’s Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) is also watching the storm’s progress and suggests residents prepare in advance for the arrival of extreme weather.
EMO’s Nicole Watkins-Campbell says those in a storm’s path should have an emergency preparedness kit that can last three days, in the event of losing power and/or water.
See what items EMO suggests to include in an emergency preparedness kit here.
“Even though it’s hard to predict what Tropical Storm Leslie could do,” Watkins-Campbell says, “now is a good time to prepare because it’s not a matter of if, but when we’ll see significant storms.”
Canada’s Atlantic Coast tends to get hit with hurricane force winds about once every three years.
Halifax suffered a direct hit from Hurricane Juan nine years ago this month, killing eight people and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. It was one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit Canada. Just two years ago, Hurricane Igor struck eastern Newfoundland, causing $200 million in damage and one death.
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