It is the lowest pressure land storm on record in Canada, according to the Canadian Hurricane Centerwhich also describes hurricane streaks hitting the area. Over 40% of Nova Scotia’s population is affected by power outages, according to Nova Scotia power. “We are seeing significant impacts from the storm, including uprooted trees, broken poles and downed power lines across the province.” the utility company additional.
Previously a hurricane, the National Hurricane Center declared that Fiona became a post-tropical cyclone as it moved north, exhibiting characteristics of storms with tropical and high-latitude pedigree.
Regardless of its technical designation, forecasters warned that the storm would be a blockbuster.
“This storm will be a severe event for Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec,” the Canadian Hurricane Center said. wrote on friday. The federal agency previously said the storm had the potential to become “historical” Y “a historic weather event.”
The storm was forecast to be so severe that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau postponed a visit to Japan, where he planned to attend Shinzo Abe’s funeral, at the last minute on Friday.
Hurricane warnings cover most of Nova Scotia, as well as Prince Edward Island and western Newfoundland, where forecasters are predicting 3 to 6 inches of rain, with up to 10 inches in some areas, and gale-force winds of at least 74mph Tropical storm warnings extend from New Brunswick to eastern Quebec and northern Newfoundland, where rainfall could reach 5 inches and winds of at least 39 mph.
The center also predicted a sizable ocean surge, or storm-driven rising water over normally dry land, that would cause coastal flooding. It predicted a “rough and strong surf” with waves up to 26 to 40 feet (8 to 12 meters).
Ahead of the storm’s arrival, Nova Scotia, home to about 1 million people, was bracing for the worst on Friday.
Nova Scotia Power warned of widespread power outages, with trees still in full bloom and relatively soft ground, and activated its emergency operations center. And the outages could be long-lasting, as crews will wait for the winds to die down before safely beginning repairs, said Dave Pickles, the utility’s director of operations.
Fiona, which caused devastating flooding in Puerto Rico and knocked out power across the island, is the latest marker in an Atlantic hurricane season that started slowly but suddenly became active. The storm is one of five systems forecasters are watching in the Atlantic basin, including one that organized into Tropical Storm Ian on Friday night and could soon become a threat to Florida as a hurricane.
Jason Samenow contributed to this report.
