Hurricane Sandy gained strength overnight and is expected to sweep through Southern Ontario and Central Quebec by Monday afternoon, bringing with it raging winds and heavy rainfall that could uproot trees, down utility lines and cause flooding.
Hundreds of flights to Canada were affected Monday as the country started to feel the effects of the storm, with warnings that high winds and storm surges would pound the country from the Great Lakes east.
A wind warning for Toronto was issued Monday morning by Environment Canada. Some flights were continuing at local airports, though a passenger landing at the island airport downtown called the arrival “blustery.”
The massive storm “continues to be an extremely large and dangerous tropical cyclone,” according to Environment Canada’s Canadian Hurricane Centre latest update Monday morning. The centre is based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Canadian airlines warned that flights from a long list of cities in the Northeastern United States would be affected. People seeking travel alternatives quickly booked solid all bus and train options.
In a statement Sunday, the Canadian Red Cross urged people in the storm’s path to have supplies on hand that would allow them to survive 72 hours without power.
“By taking some time now to store emergency food, water and other supplies, you can provide for your entire family during a power outage or evacuation,” Denis Dion, national director of disaster management was quotedsaying.
There are predictions that Sandy could strengthen even more before moving inland by Monday night, says the Hurricane forecast. It is heading towards the New Jersey coast.
But its danger lies in its size, covering a huge swath of area that is far from the centre of the storm. This means that highly populated cities in Southern Ontario, including Toronto, will be affected by Sandy later Monday night and into Tuesday morning. They will be hit by gusts of 90 km per hour winds or even higher along Western Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment, says the Hurricane Centre. Forecasts are predicting waves up to seven metres high over southern Lake Huron.
Environment Canada warned early Monday that the Toronto area could experience “severe winds” gusting up to 100 km/h beginning this evening.
“Potentially hazardous winds are expected in these regions,” the warning said. “... Sporadic power outages are quite likely across the warned regions due to falling limbs and the odd toppled tree taking out hydro lines.
As far as rainfall, the forecast right now shows between 20 and 30 millimetres for Southern Ontario. Complicating this, however, is the possibility that the rain could change to snow, says the centre’s forecast, over parts of Ontario and Western Quebec as temperatures dip.
The Quebec City region could also face flooding as because of expected higher than normal water levels on the St. Lawrence River. Flooding could happen Monday and Tuesday evening.
The Maritime provinces, meanwhile, could see significant amounts of rain – more than 50 millimetres to fall Tuesday morning and into Wednesday. This is because of another system, however, that is not related to Sandy.
In terms of wind and waves, coastal communities along the southwestern part of Nova Scotia will see five to seven metre waves. Gale and storm force winds are predicted for the three Maritime provinces, says the centre’s more recent report.
Meanwhile, the storm diverted Empress Princess, a Florida-bound cruise ship that had departed Quebec City. More than 5,000 passengers got an unscheduled look at Saguenay after the cruise line cancelled planned stops in the Maritimes because of the storm.
Posted via email from Markham Real Estate Today with Asif Khan
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