Canada braced for huge storm with hurricane-force winds

Canada was braced for one of the most powerful storms in the country’s history last night, as a huge tropical storm swept in from the Atlantic.
By Nicholas Christian
Published 24th Sep 2022, 13:18 BST
Updated 24th Sep 2022, 13:18 BST
This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite handout image shows Hurricane Fiona on September 23, 2022, at 01h21UTC. - Gusts of 100 miles an hour and driving rain buffeted Bermuda early Friday, leaving thousands without power and fearing coastal damage as Fiona, a powerful Category 3 storm, slid past the Atlantic island. At 6:00 am local time (0900 GMT), Fiona's center was located about 155 miles (250 kilometers) northwest of the British territory, according to the US National Hurricane Center. (Photo by Handout / various sources / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO /NOAA/GOES " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by HANDOUT/NOAA/GOES/AFP via Getty Images)This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite handout image shows Hurricane Fiona on September 23, 2022, at 01h21UTC. - Gusts of 100 miles an hour and driving rain buffeted Bermuda early Friday, leaving thousands without power and fearing coastal damage as Fiona, a powerful Category 3 storm, slid past the Atlantic island. At 6:00 am local time (0900 GMT), Fiona's center was located about 155 miles (250 kilometers) northwest of the British territory, according to the US National Hurricane Center. (Photo by Handout / various sources / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO /NOAA/GOES " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by HANDOUT/NOAA/GOES/AFP via Getty Images)
This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite handout image shows Hurricane Fiona on September 23, 2022, at 01h21UTC. - Gusts of 100 miles an hour and driving rain buffeted Bermuda early Friday, leaving thousands without power and fearing coastal damage as Fiona, a powerful Category 3 storm, slid past the Atlantic island. At 6:00 am local time (0900 GMT), Fiona's center was located about 155 miles (250 kilometers) northwest of the British territory, according to the US National Hurricane Center. (Photo by Handout / various sources / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO /NOAA/GOES " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by HANDOUT/NOAA/GOES/AFP via Getty Images)

Strong rains and winds lashed the country as Fiona closed in yesterday, with the Canadian Hurricane Centre warning of “a historic, extreme event”.

Although Fiona transformed from a hurricane into a post-tropical storm late on Friday, meteorologists cautioned that it still could have hurricane-strength winds and would bring drenching rains and huge waves.

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More than 250,000 Nova Scotia Power customers, about half of all customers in the province, were affected by power outages before the storm even made landfall.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre issued a hurricane watch for coastal expanses of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

The US National Hurricane Centre said Fiona should reach the area as a “large and powerful post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds”.

“It’s going to a bad one,” said prime minister Justin Trudeau, who decided to delay his trip to Japan for the funeral for assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe.

“We of course hope there won’t be much needed, but we feel there probably will be,” Mr Trudeau said.

“Listen to the instructions of local authorities and hang in there for the next 24 hours.”

Meanwhile, there are fresh concerns over a new tropical depression, which could hit Florida next week as Hurricane Hermine.

Related topics:Canada