(Montreal) The remains of the storm Debby could complicate the lives of motorists on Friday morning: water accumulations and closures of several roads occurred due to the heavy rains affecting southern Quebec.
The remains of the hurricane Debby are currently hitting Quebec and could cause havoc over the next 48 hours: up to 100 millimetres are expected in some regions of the province.
The precipitation began late Thursday evening. In Montreal, accumulations of more than half the monthly average for August precipitation were expected in a 24-hour period.
In Montreal, there are significant accumulations of water on several sections of road. This is the case at the level of Highway 15 heading north, at the level of Highway 40.
At 6:33 a.m., Environment Canada was already reporting that significant amounts of rain had already fallen.
According to Météomédia, the winds would not represent a major issue.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) has not reported any collisions on the roads at this time, but is reporting major disruptions on the highway network in the Montreal area. “According to initial information, due to heavy rainfall, there is a significant accumulation of water in certain traffic lanes,” the police force explained in a press release.
Authorities recommend postponing travel. “However, if you have to travel on the road network, we suggest that you adapt your driving and speed according to the weather conditions encountered. We also recommend that you turn on your headlights and sidelights to be more visible to other road users.”
Friday’s rain also led to the closure of venues and the cancellation of events. This is the case for ComediHa! Fest-Québec, whose outdoor shows have been cancelled. The International des Montgolfières de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu has postponed its opening day to Monday and La Ronde is closing its facilities.
Highway 19 at Henri-Bourassa is currently closed. Significant accumulations are reported on the Côte-Vertu service road and Highway 15 at Highway 40.
The tropical storm Debby, which was over the states of North and South Carolina late Thursday morning, is expected to lose strength over the next few hours and be downgraded to a post-tropical storm on Friday.
This will not prevent Debby to leave heavy rain in its wake in southern Ontario and Quebec, according to Environment Canada forecasts. In Montreal, we could receive 60 to 80 mm of rain from this Friday, early morning, until late in the evening, while the average precipitation for the month of August is 94 millimetres.
The system will first track across southern Ontario and Quebec, prompting Environment Canada to issue rainfall watches and warnings for communities between Cornwall, Ontario, and Quebec City.
The federal agency also warned that minor landslides are possible.
In Quebec, the regions most likely to receive up to 100 millimetres of rain are located north of the St. Lawrence River. We are therefore talking about the Outaouais, the Laurentians, Lanaudière, Mauricie and the north of the Quebec region, including Charlevoix.
In southern Quebec, rain is expected to begin in the morning and then intensify at the end of the day.
Elsewhere in the country, Ottawa is expected to receive 50 to 75 millimetres of rain, while 30 millimetres of rain is expected in Toronto. The remnants of Debby are expected to reach New Brunswick Friday evening and dump up to 40 millimetres of rain through Saturday morning.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported Friday morning that Debby was now a post-tropical cyclone. The storm made its first landfall in Florida on Monday with Category 1 hurricane strength before continuing northward.
At least seven people have died in the United States in connection with the passage of Debby.
With Mélanie Marquis, Maryse Tessier, La Presse and The Canadian Press