Over 61,000 customers without power in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley

UPDATE 2:35 PM: More than 61,000 BC Hydro customers are now without power.

Original story:

BC Hydro says more than 45,000 customers are without power in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley as of Friday afternoon thanks to strong winds caused by the second BC storm.

Many of the outages are concentrated in Surrey, with others in Coquitlam, Langley, Maple Ridge, Mission and a few around Vancouver.

See also

• Typhoon Songda remnants fueling most powerful of three storms set to hit Metro Vancouver
• 100 cm of snow to fall on Whistler Blackcomb by Monday
• Wind warning issued for Metro Vancouver: expect up to 80 km/hr gusts

“Crews are working to assess extensive damage and we’ll be working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible,” reads a statement on BC Hydro’s website.

Image: BC Hydro

Earlier Friday morning, around 9,000 people were without power in the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast, but that number grew as winds continued to pick up speed.

Trees have already fallen across the Stanley Park causeway, and roads flooded downtown.

The storm is the remnants of Typhoon Songda, and a third storm is set to hit the Metro area on Saturday.

Winds may end up exceeding 80 km/hr for exposed coastal areas, according to Environment Canada.