Environment Canada has issued weather alerts for parts of Canada’s Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts.
The rain, wind, blizzard and flooding warnings impact areas of Newfoundland, British Columbia, Nunavut and Yukon.
Significant rainfall in Newfoundland
Rainfall warnings are in place for southeastern and southwestern parts of Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula, where 50 to 75 millimetres of rain is expected between Friday morning and Saturday afternoon.
“Thundershowers may develop over some areas, producing locally heavier rainfall,” Environment Canada cautioned. “Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible.”
Wind and rainfall warnings in B.C.
A large swathe of southwestern B.C. is under rain and wind warnings, including parts of Vancouver Island, Fraser Canyon, Howe Sound and the Sunshine Coast.
Winds gusts of up to 90 km/h and as much as 140 mm of rain is expected in some areas as a strong frontal system moves across the South Coast region.
“Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads,” Environment Canada explained. “Loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage. High winds may result in power outages and fallen tree branches.”
Strong winds with gusts of up to 80 km/h are also expected in Greater Victoria and Metro Vancouver on Friday and Saturday. Metro Vancouver could also experience as much as 80 mm of rainfall.
Coastal flooding in Yukon
Yukon’s Arctic coast faces a storm surge warning that impacts Herschel Island and Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park. Water levels are expected to be as much as 25 centimetres higher than usual and could result in moderate flooding in coastal areas.
“These conditions can cause damage to infrastructure near the coast, including boats beached or anchored along the shoreline,” Environment Canada said.
Blizzard conditions in Nunavut
The community of Resolute in Nunavut is expected to experience blizzards and strong winds of up to 80 km/h from Friday to Saturday evening.
“Blizzard conditions with near zero visibility in snow and blowing snow are expected on Saturday,” Environment Canada warned. “If you must travel, keep others informed of your schedule and destination and carry an emergency kit and mobile phone.”
Mixed conditions for weekend
Heading into the weekend, the forecast for Canada’s cities and provincial capitals ranges from rain on the coasts to warm weather across the prairies.
St. John’s, Halifax, Charlottetown and Fredericton could experience showers on Saturday and a mix of sun and clouds on Sunday with daytime temperatures between 11 and 14 C. Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto can expect a mix of sun and clouds over the weekend with highs of between 8 and 11 C. Temperatures will be similar in both Calgary and Edmonton.
Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon can expect balmier weather over the weekend with daytime highs that could reach 19 C on Saturday and 15 C on Sunday. Vancouver and Victoria can meanwhile expect a rainy weekend with temperatures between 10 and 12 C.in Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit, temperatures are expected to dip just below freezing overnight while daytime temperatures will range between -2 and 4 C.
