VANCOUVER — Hurricane-force winds of up to 159 km/h have slammed into parts of the British Columbia Coast as a massive storm swirling off Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Island severed highways and cut power to about 225,000 people.
Winds from the bomb cyclone weather system were expected to reach 120 km/h on the central and north coast, although remote Sartine Island, off the northern tip of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Island was battered by the most powerful gusts, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.
Winds exceeding 100 km/h were recorded in multiple areas late Tuesday, with gusts approaching 80 km/h at Vancouver's airport.
BC Hydro says most of the blacked-out customers were on Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Island, but there were also dozens of outages across Metro Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»and the Sunshine Coast.
The Transportation Ministry says multiple highways on Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Island have been closed because of downed power lines, fallen trees and debris, with more closures expected as the storm moves through.
A bomb cyclone is caused by rapidly dropping atmospheric pressure at the centre of a weather system.
Environment Canada says the storm is parked about 400 kilometres west of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Island and will remain offshore, with the winds hitting B.C.'s coastal areas not expected to weaken until later today.
BC Ferries cancelled numerous sailings Tuesday between Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Island and the Lower Mainland, and warned that trips could be affected through today.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2024.
The Canadian Press
