Weather experts are predicting areas of Vancouver Island will get a little gusty by Thursday afternoon as strong winds are expected to hit the B.C. coast.
Environment Canada says a “ridge of high pressure” is building offshore and will produce strong northwest winds in the Greater Victoria area, along the west coast of Vancouver Island and in the northern region.
In Greater Victoria, experts are anticipating westerly winds near the Juan de Fuca Strait to reach 70 to 90 km/h by Thursday afternoon and persist through to Friday morning.
According to Environment Canada, winds in this area will ease to below 50 km/h by Friday morning.
“Gusty winds can damage soft shelters, tents and awnings at outdoor events. High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break,” reads a statement from the agency.
Along the west coast, Environment Canada says winds will blow at around 70 km/hr during the day and increase to between 80 and 100 km/hr in the late evening. The wind speeds are expected to ease to 30 km/h by Saturday morning.
In the northern region, Environment Canada says that the passing low-pressure system will generate up to 90 km/hr winds across the coastal areas.
The weather agency adds that wind warnings are issued when there is a significant risk of damaging winds.
Power outages can be monitored online through BC Hydro’s outage map.
Graham Cox
