Strong winds, thunderstorms and heavy downpours are expected to hit much of Vancouver Island and B.C.’s South Coast on Saturday night, according to Environment Canada, and weather officials are urging residents to be prepared.
The forecaster has issued a special weather statement for Metro Vancouver, eastern Vancouver Island, the southern Gulf Islands, Howe Sound, and the Sunshine Coast, as a weather system from Oregon and Washington state approaches the region.
Officials are urging residents to prepare for strong winds, which may cause tree branches to break and lead to power outages.
“With heavy downpours associated with the showers and thunderstorms, there is the chance of reduced visibility and also localized water pooling on the road,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Nan Lu.
Lu is urging locals to look out for alerts and forecasts on the Environment Canada website.
Strong southerly winds and thunderstorms are expected to be followed by periods of heavy showers and the potential for gusty winds after midnight Sunday. By early Sunday morning, the winds are expected to subside.
“For the rest of the day on Sunday, we’re just expecting a chance of showers and a slight risk of thunderstorm for the South Coast,” Lu said.
B.C. Ferries says it’s not expecting the storms to impact its weekend sailings as of Saturday afternoon, but a spokesperson said the authority is closely monitoring the situation.
