Bomb cyclone building over Pacific Ocean will reach B.C. shores on Sunday
A bomb cyclone storm is expected to make landfall in B.C. on Sunday, bringing wind gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour.
The storm has been brewing over the Pacific Ocean for several days, and although it will reach its peak before reaching B.C.’s shores, it’s likely to cause damage and power outages.
Wind and rain are expected to begin early Sunday morning and continue through Monday, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Bobby Sekhon.
A storm is called a bomb cyclone’ when its pressure system quickly intensifies by dropping 24 millibars within 24 hours, Sekhon said.
“That means really strong winds and heavy rain embedded in that storm,” he said.
“This bomb is happening offshore, and by the time it comes to Northern Vancouver Island, it's actually going to ... be a lot less intensive than what we've seen over the Pacific.”
Environment Canada has issued special weather and wind warnings for the majority of Vancouver Island and the southern coast of the mainland, including Metro Vancouver.
On Monday morning, the western areas of Metro Vancouver will see their strongest winds with gusts potentially exceeding 80 kilometres per hour.
Southeast winds of 70 to 90 kilometres per hour are expected in several southern coastal regions, and wind gusts possibly exceeding 100 kilometres per hour are expected on northern Vancouver Island.
The storm will be dynamic, Sekhon said, and he warned people not to be fooled into a false sense of security when a forecasted lull sets in.
“We’re going to see winds ramping up (Sunday) morning, and they may have a little bit of a lull on Sunday evening,” he said.
“But then (the winds will) ramp back up on Monday so it’s really a 24-hour event, with some fluctuation in the wind speed.”
Sekhon also encouraged people to be ready for power outages and to secure loose items in their yards.
“Everybody should take some caution as, you know, there could be power outages, tree damage, and flying objects that are loose,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.