Power outages have multiplied in Quebec on Saturday evening. The Montérégie is particularly affected, while weather alerts of strong winds and freezing rain are in effect throughout the province.
The number of Hydro-Quebec customers without electricity rose from nearly 115,000 to over 310,000 during the evening.
The Montérégie was particularly affected with 91,698 private households with electricity. In Montreal, the balance sheet rose to 69,492 clients of the state-owned company while in the Outaouais, 25,684 clients experienced power outages. In the Laurentians, 22,917 homes were cut off from the Hydro-Québec network. In Center-du-Québec, 20,842 homes also lacked power.
Winds of up to 100 kilometers an hour shook several major cities and regions of the province on Saturday evening including Montreal, Quebec, Estrie, Beauce, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Bas-Saint-Laurent and La Richelieu valley. In Anticosti, Natashquan and Minganie, a storm surge warning that could cause waves to break was also in effect on Saturday.
Despite these weather conditions, the Sûreté du Québec did not report any major accidents on Saturday. “There were a few trips off the road and many calls related to high winds,” said Sergeant Marythé Bolduc of the Sûreté du Québec.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
A resident cleans the windows of his vehicle parked in the Pointe-Saint-Charles neighborhood.
Even though the rain had stopped early in the afternoon in the Montreal region, freezing rain was still affecting some regions, such as Charlevoix. In the Gaspé and on the North Shore, the freezing rain was expected to continue until the evening.
Temperatures will, however, continue to increase gradually throughout the day throughout the province, and the ice will be less and less present, underlines Simon Legault, meteorologist at Environment Canada.
“What will follow, for example, are the high winds,” he continues. The gusts will start first in the southwest of the province, in the Témiscamingue and Outaouais sectors, then in the evening in the Greater Montreal region. All of southern Quebec will be affected by winds overnight. “We are talking about gusts of 90 up to 100 kilometers per hour in places,” says Simon Legault.
Environment Canada expects the winds to cause several power outages in the province. The meteorologist recalls that objects that could be swept away by the wind must be securely attached, such as car shelters.
Saturday afternoon, Hydro-Quebec reported some power outages in the province. The worst is however expected in the evening, warns Mr. Legault. Motorists will need to be careful when traveling on Saturday evening due to the winds.
The state of the roads will however be adequate on Sunday. “We don’t expect what fell [samedi] in terms of rain freezes overnight. Even if there are temperatures that are negative, it still takes colder than that to make an ice rink and it is dangerous ”on the roads, explains Simon Legault. Temperatures above zero are expected during the day on Sunday, and the cold will again be felt in Quebec towards the end of the week.
Over 140,000 homes without electricity in Ontario
More than 140,000 Ontarians were without power on Saturday night due to high winds that ravaged the southern part of the province and triggered a widespread warning from Environment Canada.
Utility Hydro One said blackouts were affecting about 143,000 customers at 7 p.m. on Saturday, and those in the hardest-hit areas are expected to remain in the dark overnight.
Police forces in southern Ontario say they are responding to calls about fallen wires, trees and flying debris.
Environment Canada has issued wind warnings for most of the southern region of the province, with gusts between 90 and 120 kilometers per hour expected in the evening.
With The Canadian Press