the hurricane Fiona is still following a trajectory that takes it straight towards Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec, this weekend, in the form of a “potentially violent” post-tropical storm.
Environment Canada predicted Thursday that this system should cause “heavy rain and powerful hurricane-force winds starting on Saturday”. These winds will likely cause widespread damage and power outages, it is warned.
According to the latest forecasts, Fionaen route north, is expected to reach Nova Scotia waters on Friday evening, before crossing the east of that province, Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island on Saturday, then the Lower Shore -Northern Quebec and southeastern Labrador early Sunday.
Most of these areas will experience “hurricane force” winds, which will begin late Friday and persist Saturday, Environment Canada said.
According to Environment Canada, “cyclones of this type have caused structural damage to buildings in the past. Construction sites could be particularly vulnerable. The impact of the winds could be stronger due to the presence of foliage in the trees; there is a risk of long-term power outages”.
Most of the affected areas will experience gusts above 100 km/h, but could reach 140 km/h in eastern Nova Scotia, Cape Breton and parts of Prince Edward Island. Edward, warned Ian Hubbard, meteorologist at the Canadian Hurricane Center in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Prepare
Conditions are expected to bring breaking waves to coastal areas of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland; waves off Nova Scotia are expected to reach over 10 meters in height.
There is also a risk of flooding with widespread rainfall of 100 to 200 mm closer to the storm’s track, in eastern Nova Scotia, southwestern Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
In a message on Twitter, the Minister of Public Security of Quebec, Geneviève Guilbault, recommended to the citizens concerned to prepare, in particular by consulting the page of the ministry on emergency situations.
Mr. Hubbard recalled Thursday that the trajectory of Fiona had moved slightly west and inland since the beginning of the week.
The approaching storm prompted Parks Canada to preemptively close Kejimkujik National Park and Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia as of noon Friday. Parks Canada also announced the closure on Friday of the Fortress of Louisbourg and Alexander Graham Bell national historic sites in Cape Breton.
Meanwhile, shipping company Bay Ferries announced it was canceling its high-speed ferry service between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Bar Harbor, Maine, for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Departures for its service between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island, and Caribou, Nova Scotia, could be halted on Friday, while all Saturday departures are canceled, as are departures for its service between Saint John, New Brunswick, and Digby, Nova Scotia.
When Fiona passed through Puerto Rico earlier this week, the hurricane caused record flooding, smashing roads and bridges. The hurricane then hit the Dominican Republic and swept across the Turks and Caicos Islands, as it strengthened into a Category 4 storm. Meteorologists on Thursday predicted the storm would pass near Bermuda early Friday.