POWER OUTAGES IN BC About 66,000 without electricity

Posted on 11/18/2015 | About British Columbia

A vigorous cold front swept across southern British Columbia on Tuesday, bringing gale-force winds that by mid-afternoon had cut power to about 66,000 BC Hydro customers.

The utility was providing ongoing updates that showed about 39,100 customers had lost electricity by early afternoon across the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast. It said strong winds had caused 96 outages. On southern Vancouver Island, another 26,800 customers were affected by 74 separate outages. BC Hydro said the severe weather was causing significant damage in the Victoria and Duncan areas.

Crews were assessing the damage and working to restore power. Environment Canada issued a wind warning Tuesday for Metro Vancouver, parts of the Fraser Valley, Greater Victoria and West Vancouver Island. Gusts up to 80 kilometres per hour were recorded at Victoria's airport, while another weather station on the Trial Islands, just to the south, were rocked by winds racing up to 124 kilometres per hour.

“That's hurricane-force wind speeds,” said Matt MacDonald, a warning preparedness meteorologist based in Vancouver. “You can imagine driving down the highway at 120 kilometres per hour and sticking your face out the window - what that would feel like.” In Abbotsford, the gusts had reached 83 kilometres per hour. At 57 kilometres per hour, Vancouver's winds were only expected to grow stronger over the course of the afternoon, he added.

The conditions were the result of a cold front and the centre of a low pressure system that was tracking directly across Vancouver Island and into the Interior, MacDonald explained. He added the weather was severe but not particularly unusual because the fall months are B.C.'s stormiest. Rainfall up to 30 millimetres was predicted into the evening in Howe Sound and eastern portions of the Fraser Valley.

The weather was forecast to let up by about sunset, MacDonald said. And British Columbians should expect a reprieve, including even a bit of sun, on Wednesday, he added. BC Ferries was reporting some travel cancellations and schedule delays due to the blustery weather. Extreme weather, including pounding rains, also cancelled some ferry sailings on Monday. Winds and waves caused a portion of Vancouver's Stanley Park seawall to collapse on Sunday. The Vancouver Park Board closed the seawall indefinitely for repairs.