"A storm for the ages": Five provinces eye up hurricane coming for Canada
A powerful hurricane just south of Bermuda has its eyes set on a large chunk of Canada, with five provinces preparing for its ferocious arrival.
Hurricane Fiona is currently a Category Four hurricane, packing sustained wind speeds of more than 210 km/h.
It devastated Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic earlier this week, dumping copious amounts of rain along the way as a lower-end hurricane.
Fiona is now swirling north in the Atlantic Ocean, spurring Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to issue a tropical cyclone information statement for the provinces of Nova Scotia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Hurricane watches have also been issued for portions of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.
The 3 PM updated track and bulletins have been issued for #Fiona. #Hurricane and #TropicalStorm watches have been issued across Eastern Canada, and will likely be updated to warnings as Fiona draws nearer.
Get the details at: https://t.co/QURfkCQWXu pic.twitter.com/yp9mjsRMGn
— ECCC Canadian Hurricane Centre (@ECCC_CHC) September 22, 2022
Hurricane #Fiona, as it approaches the Canadian coast, could produce some of the highest waves ever recorded in the Atlantic.
The latest European Wave model has maximum wave heights up to 90 feet (27.4 m)!
This would obviously result in catastrophic coastal damage and erosion. pic.twitter.com/nZKVoinWOk
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) September 22, 2022
The ECMWF model forecast of extratropical transition of #HurricaneFiona is the most extreme weather system for Canada on record … unprecedented by a mile.
920 hPa central pressure is like a Cat 5 hurricane. Winds will cause widespread damage to Nova Scotia. pic.twitter.com/g6tDuiZm4d
— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) September 22, 2022
Chris Scott, chief meteorologist at The Weather Network stated Fiona “will be a historic storm,” adding that it’s going to be “massive” and a “storm for the ages.”
“This is not just a hurricane, it’s more like a hurricane and a nor’easter combined.”
“This storm is shaping up to be a severe event for Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec,” the ECCC Canadian Hurricane Centre stated.
“Numerous weather models are quite consistent in their prediction of what we call a deep hybrid low-pressure system, possessing both tropical and intense winter storm properties, with very heavy rainfall and severe winds.”
Most regions will experience some hurricane-force winds and when it comes to rainfall, forecast guidance is suggesting widespread amounts of 100 to 200 mm, but closer to the path of Fiona, more than 200 mm is likely.
Coastal flooding will also be a threat for parts of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island including the Northumberland Strait, the Gulf of St. Lawrence region including Iles-de-la-Madeleine and eastern New Brunswick, and southwest Newfoundland.
You can find the full list of areas under a tropical cyclone information statement here.