Heavy rain, wind storm parade to pound Metro Vancouver this week

Following a dry and sunny Thanksgiving long weekend, residents in British Columbia’s South Coast are being told to anticipate a series of powerful wind and rain storms beginning the middle of the week.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather notice for Metro Vancouver stating that the first of the storms will reach Metro Vancouver on Wednesday night, bringing heavy rains and strong winds. The storms are expected to continue through Sunday.

Rainfall may exceed 200 mm for the West and Inland areas of Vancouver Island while inner coastal regions may exceed 100 mm. Winds could also exceed 80 km/hr in over exposed coastal areas.

The high pressure system over BC will remain until mid-week, which means the bout of sunny weather will continue until Wednesday afternoon before the storm system arrives. It will give way to a low pressure system that has been building strength over the Gulf of Alaska.

Image: Environment Canada

“Rainfall and wind warnings are anticipated as forecast details become clearer towards the start of the storm cycle,” reads the statement by the federal weather agency.

At this time, the storms are not expected to create snowfall in the upper elevations of Whistler Blackcomb as the freezing level will be above the mountain peaks.

This follows a wind and rain storm on Thursday night and Friday morning that left 45,000 BC Hydro customers in the South Coast without electricity.