Powerful winds are forecast to hit B.C.’s South Coast Thursday afternoon and evening, as the province feels the edge of a massive storm system pounding the U.S. West Coast.
That extreme low-pressure system hovering over the Pacific Ocean has forced evacuations in coastal areas of California where it has delivered strong winds, heavy rain and flash flooding.
While B.C. isn’t expecting to see the same kind of extremes, the system has resulted in multiple wind warnings and alerts for Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, including Howe Sound and the Sunshine Coast.
“We are seeing incredibly strong outflow winds through the Howe Sound region with gusts up to 94 km/h, we’re expecting that to continue into the overnight period,” Global BC senior meteorologist Kristi Gordon said Thursday afternoon.
The strongest wind measured by midday was on Solander Island, off the west coast of Vancouver Island, where monitors detected gusts of up to 109 km/h, she said.
“The stronger winds are going to push further inland as we head through the latter part of the day,” Gordon added.
“The outer coast (of Vancouver Island), 100 km/h, the inner coast, the potential for 90 km/h winds and Metro Vancouver the potential for 80 km/h winds. That means the potential for power outages.”
The stronger winds were not forecast to hit the Metro Vancouver area until the evening, lasting until about midnight, Gordon added.
However Friday is expected to also be windy, she said, followed by stormy and unsettled weather all through next week.
“We’ve got a series of systems on deck,” Gordon said. “It’s basically a parade of storms headed towards the B.C. coast as well as the U.S. coast … for the next 10 days.”
Comments