British Columbians should brace for a bomb cyclone bringing windy weather and heavy rains this week.
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Environment Canada has issued a weather statement for much of the province, forecasting “very windy conditions” beginning Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.
The “significant” fall storm will bring high winds to coastal areas through Tuesday afternoon, with winds hitting peak speeds overnight.
“Strong winds are likely to continue on Wednesday morning, but should ease later in the day,” said the statement.
Heavy rains are also expected in some areas during the storm, but winds remain the primary concern. Power outages, ferry cancellations, and damages due to downed trees are also possible.
The strong winds are the result of what’s called a bomb cyclone, according to the Weather Network. Also referred to as bombogenesis, a bomb cyclone describes a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure at the centre of a storm system. If the pressure at the eye of the storm drops quickly enough — roughly 24 millibars over the course of 24 hours — it is called a bomb cyclone.
The bomb cyclone responsible for this week’s winds will remain about 400 kilometres off the coast of Vancouver Island. However, B.C.’s coast and mainland will still get intense wind gusts as a result.
Matt MacDonald, the lead forecaster for the BC Wildfire Service, says in a social media post that models show B.C. coastal inlets could see “hurricane force” winds of more than 118 km/h and there may be waves of up to nine metres off Washington and Oregon’s coasts.
BC Ferries says in a statement that it is “closely monitoring the weather situation” and is in contact with Environment Canada, but sailings are expected to proceed as scheduled.
“Safety is always our top priority,” it said. “Our crews are trained to follow strict operational procedures in line with Transport Canada’s safety regulations, and we are prepared to respond to any changes in conditions.”
The special weather statement comes after a lightning storm overnight and early Monday covered parts of Metro Vancouver in hail.
B.C. has been hit by a series of powerful fall storms, including an atmospheric river that caused flash flooding in Metro Vancouver in mid-October.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada said in a news release last week that last month’s storms caused $110 million in insured damage claims, which prompted it to renew calls for the federal government to “fully fund” the National Flood Insurance Program.
It said insured losses related to severe weather in Canada now routinely exceed $3 billion annually and a new record has been set this year, reaching more than $7.7 billion.
More to come …
With files from Canadian Press.