More heavy rain expected for southwestern Newfoundland, says meteorologist
CBC
More water is on the way for the already storm battered southwest coast of Newfoundland, as two washed out sections of the Trans-Canada Highway reopened Monday and helicopters continued to transport people over remaining washouts.
Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for Port aux Basques, Burgeo and Ramea that could bring another 60 to 80 millimetres to an area that last week saw record-breaking totals and a lot of damage, according to meteorologist Dale Foote.
Foote, with the weather office in Gander, says there could be up to 100 mm over higher terrain over the next 36 hours.
"That rain is expected to begin this evening, or late this afternoon for Port aux Basques, and continue to probably around lunch time on Tuesday with heavy rain at times," he told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning on Monday.
"We've got wind warnings out for Port aux Basques, right on up through to Hawke's Bay, with winds picking up this evening gusting up to 130 [km/h] in the Wreckhouse area and up to 100 in areas north of that."
Foote said there's definitely concern about the potential for flooding along the southwest coast. He said the area is at higher risk than what it would be normally given the rain that had fallen last week.
He said Environment Canada meteorologists have made emergency preparedness teams aware of the forecast.
With the rain expected to taper off Tuesday afternoon, Foote said flurries could be right behind it Tuesday night and into Wednesday for the southwest coast, west coast and part of the Northern Peninsula.
"So the rain will stop, but it will be strong westerly winds and snow squalls at times," he said.
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