Heavy rain, 100+ km/h winds pose risk of damage and outages in Atlantic Canada
Strong winds and heavy rainfall to impact Atlantic Canada Friday into Saturday
Secure your Christmas decorations! A powerful system will bring widespread strong winds, rainfall, and warm conditions to Atlantic Canada on Friday, with the potential for localized damage and power outages. Wind and rainfall warnings are in effect.
Widespread gusts of 80-100+ km/h are expected for Nova Scotia, southern New Brunswick, and P.E.I., particularly in coastal areas through the day. These winds could cause tree damage, downed power lines, and power outages.
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Winds will intensify through Friday evening and overnight, becoming gusty out of the south.
Alongside the high winds, temperatures will rise into the low double digits, and rainfall will spread across the Maritimes during the second half of Friday.
Rain and melting snow could lead to runoff and potential flooding in poorly drained areas.
"Water will likely pool on roads and in low-lying areas," says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the rainfall warning. "Visibility will likely be suddenly reduced at times."
By Saturday, winds will shift to west-northwesterly across the Maritimes, still gusting 60-80 km/h through much of the day.
Newfoundland will see peak winds Saturday morning, with gusts of 80-100+ km/h out of the south, transitioning to westerly winds. Sea-enhanced snow squalls are likely for portions of Newfoundland late Saturday.
Temperatures will drop significantly Saturday morning, with some mixing or flurries possible as the system departs.
Residents are advised to secure loose items and prepare for potential disruptions.
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Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates across Atlantic Canada.