Hurricane Fiona could possibly be Canada’s strongest hurricane ever

“Please take this severely as a result of we’re seeing meteorological knowledge in our climate maps which might be not often seen right here,” Fogarty said.

Lohr, along with the Office of Emergency Management in Nova Scotia, said the storm has the potential to be “very harmful” for the province.

“The storm is anticipated to trigger extreme and harmful wind gusts, very excessive waves, and coastal storm surge, fast and harmful rainfall charges, and extended energy outages,” Lohr said on Thursday. “The time to prepare is now earlier than Fiona hits tomorrow night.”

Brian Tang, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Albany, said the lowest pressure ever recorded in Canada was 940 millibar in Newfoundland in January 1977. “Current climate forecasting fashions are indicating that Fiona will make landfall in japanese Nova Scotia with a stress of 925 to 935 millibars, simply setting a brand new file,” he said.

Usually, a Category 4 hurricane has a pressure of 920 to 944 millibar.

“That storm was very small. It is big,” Fogarty said.

A hurricane’s typhoon-force winds extend up to 70 miles in either direction from its center—and tropical storm-force winds extend for more than 200 miles. A 140-mile-wide path may experience hurricane-force winds, and an area greater than 400 miles may experience tropical storm-force winds.

And according to Tang, by the time the storm reaches Canada, Fiona could grow even further.

what can fiona bring

Fiona is expected to reach Atlantic Canada on Friday evening, and the region will begin to experience worsening conditions earlier in the day.

“Fiona is solely a hurricane proper now. As it begins to work together with the chilly climate system and jet stream, it’ll transition right into a superstorm with a robust hurricane and a robust autumn cyclone with hurricane-force winds. “There will be features of both very heavy rain, and waves and ripples of large storms,” ​​Tang defined.

The National Hurricane Center is predicting the storm “to continue producing hurricane-force winds as it crosses Nova Scotia and moves into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.” In reality, the storm can nonetheless carry winds of greater than 100 mph when it slams ashore.

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and western Newfoundland can obtain as much as 6 inches of rain, whereas some areas can obtain as much as 10 inches of rain. This can lead to important flash floods.

“We want people to take this very seriously and be prepared for longer periods of utility and structural damage to buildings,” Fogarty defined.

Deadly storm surge and huge waves are forecast for the area.

Mike Savage, the mayor of Nova Scotia’s capital Halifax Regional Municipality, warned wave watchers and surfers to avoid coastal areas, including that individuals dwelling close to the coast “proceed on short notice and pay close attention to the possible”. Must be prepared for evacuation orders.”

“You must be prepared for downed trees, extended power outages and localized flooding throughout our Halifax area,” the mayor said.

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Amanda McDougall said authorities are preparing and working to ensure residents stay safe, as the area is in a “direct affect zone”.

“We need to make sure there is going to be a center for people to go before a storm because we know that there are different types of housing that are not able to withstand winds, floods, the other way around. Maybe,” McDougall mentioned.

Some waves will be as excessive as 39 ft within the japanese elements of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the western bay will see waves as excessive as 26 ft from the north, probably inflicting important erosion on the seashores on the north aspect of Prince. Canada’s Hurricane Center Edward Island mentioned.

The Hurricane Center additionally warns of coastal flooding, particularly throughout excessive tide.

It has been nearly 50 years since this intense storm affected Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. They have been each winter storms — in 1974 and 1976, Fogarty mentioned. Many folks will not even keep in mind these two storms, so forecasters are attempting to ship a transparent message to residents to arrange for.