Power outages hit Vancouver Island as Environment Canada forecasts winds up to 110 km/h
CTV
Thousands of BC Hydro customers in Greater Victoria and across Vancouver Island were without power Wednesday morning as Environment Canada forecasted wind gusts over 100 km/h.
Wind warnings were active for all parts of the island Wednesday except the inland region, which was covered by a less severe special weather statement.
Environment Canada says very strong southeasterly winds will shift to southwesterly winds by the afternoon and carry into the evening.
By Wednesday morning, winds had toppled a tree on the Patricia Bay highway in Saanich beside Elk Lake.
The B.C. Ministry of Transportation warned of traffic delays in the area around 10 a.m. as crews cleared the debris.
May 18, 2022 (BC Transportation / Twitter)
"An unseasonably strong low-pressure system will make landfall on Vancouver Island early this morning bringing strong southeasterly winds and precipitation to the region," the weather agency said in its advisory.
"As the cold front passes, winds will shift to strong southwesterlies later this morning."
The northern and western regions of the island were expected to bear the brunt of the storm, with wind gusts reaching up to 110 km/h, while Greater Victoria and the eastern region was forecasted to see gusts up to 90 km/h.
