After waterspout and tornado warning, B.C. residents told to prepare for another coastal storm

Vancouver -

Residents in the south coast regions of British Columbia awoke on Sunday to an upcoming wind warning.

On Saturday, the night before, a waterspout built up near the Vancouver International Airport and made its way north toward West Vancouver and the mouth of Howe Sound.

A tornado watch was issued around 5:30 p.m. and rescinded less than an hour later, but the storm caused considerable damage on the University of British Columbia campus. The school is located on a peninsula not far from the airport.

The regional transit authority issued a statement Sunday morning saying that several bus routes on the university’s campus were being rerouted due to storm damage.

“Due to fallen trees from yesterday’s windstorm, University Boulevard from Blanca Street to Wesbrook Mall is closed to all traffic,” reads a statement from TransLink.

“Our crews are working hard to restore service as they wait for the City of Vancouver to clear the large number of fallen trees,” it continues.

TransLink said it had been told that it could take several days before the cleanup is finished.

As of Sunday, Environment Canada was issuing a wind warning for Monday night and Tuesday, that includes Metro Vancouver, Howe Sound, Whistler, all coastal areas of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, the Central Coast and Haida Gwaii.

It warns of strong southeast winds of 90 kilometres per hour in most areas, and up to 70 kilometres per hour for the inner south coast. However, the exact strength and track of the upcoming storm is still uncertain.

“A rapidly deepening weather system will generate strong southeast winds over the west coast of Vancouver Island, Central Coast and Haida Gwaii beginning Monday evening,” reads the special weather statement from Environment Canada.

The southeast winds are expected to move quickly into the inner south coast waters.

“The weather system will remain very intense Tuesday and these blustery conditions are expected to continue,” it reads.