‘A nasty night’ ahead as Lee set to pass near western P.E.I. overnight

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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Lee is predicted to go close to western P.E.I. in a single day from Saturday into Sunday.

Now ranked as a post-tropical storm system, Lee continues to be recording most sustained winds of 110 km/h, which is the equal of a weak Class 1 hurricane, in accordance with the afternoon update by Canadian Hurricane Centre and Atmosphere Canada.

David Neil, who’s a meteorologist with Atmosphere and Local weather Change Canada, stated Lee was anticipated to make landfall on the southwestern coast of Nova Scotia the afternoon of Sept. 16.

It was forecast to brush by the western a part of P.E.I. round 3 p.m. ADT, he stated.

“By that time, the storm may have weakened considerably. However with that stated, we’re nonetheless anticipating some fairly sturdy winds over the Island all through at the moment and tonight,” Neil informed SaltWire in an interview morning of Sept. 16.

“It’s a very good factor when you may keep away from the worst. However that stated, it’s nonetheless going to be a big storm because it comes up by … So it is actually not one thing the place it is beneficial to go about enterprise as typical. It’s nonetheless going to be a nasty day and a nasty evening tonight with this storm.”

Greater than 1,200 Maritime Electrical clients are with out energy as of 11:10 p.m. Sept. 16, in accordance with the outage map on the utility’s web site. Earlier within the afternoon, the quantity reached as excessive as 4,700.

Kim Griffin, who’s the spokesperson for Maritime Electrical, stated the outages had been attributable to bushes falling onto energy traces on account of sturdy winds.

“We anticipated due to the bushes and the vegetation with the winds at the moment that we had been going to have some points at the moment,” she stated.

“We introduced in crews forward of the anticipated Lee, so we have had crews out working all day at the moment they usually’ll work all into tonight. So, we’ll be monitoring it very carefully and restoring energy as rapidly as we are able to.”

Put up-tropical storm #Lee is predicted to achieve #PEI late tonight. Check out the scenes at Kinlock Seaside and Charlottetown Yacht Membership earlier than the storm will get right here. @PEIGuardian pic.twitter.com/EAtjfHJsos

— Thinh Nguyen (@thinhnguyen4291) September 16, 2023

All flights to and from Charlottetown Airport on Sept. 16, had been cancelled.

All Northumberland Ferries sailings between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia for September 16 had been canceled due to sturdy winds. The 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m., and midday crossings on Sunday are additionally canceled.

At 1:12 p.m., the Confederation Bridge was closed to sure lessons of autos till the present excessive wind state of affairs modifications. Restricted lessons included cars towing trailers, bikes, highsided autos together with vehicles, tractor trailers, leisure autos, and buses.

The Confederation Bridge reported wind speeds of 77 km/h with gusts of 102 km/h as of 11:10 p.m. Saturday.

‘Good day to remain put’

Tropical storm warning and wind warning have in place throughout P.E.I. Sept. 16.

Neil stated sturdy winds will steadily decide up because the day goes on, shifting from a northeast path to southeast late within the afternoon, with wind gusts as much as 90 km/h. These sturdy winds will persist by the evening, steadily diminishing by early Sunday morning, Sept. 17.

“So it is actually not one thing the place it is beneficial to go about enterprise as typical. It’s nonetheless going to be a nasty day and a nasty evening tonight with this storm.”

— David Neil, Atmosphere Canada

“It is a good day to remain put and keep out of the climate,” he stated.

As for rainfall, Neil expects the heaviest rain to fall within the western a part of the Island, with lighter rainfall elsewhere on P.E.I.

The mixture of sturdy winds and heavy rainfall will increase the danger of damaged tree limbs and uprooted bushes, probably resulting in energy outages and highway blockages, he stated.

“The opposite factor to know too is it has been a really moist summer time, so the bottom continues to be fairly saturated in lots of locations within the Maritimes. So you place that with a further little bit of heavy rainfall and positively that may even improve your danger of seeing some bushes being uprooted,” Neil stated.

The P.E.I. authorities has printed a listing of reception centres throughout the Island: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/justice-and-public-safety/reception-centres.

In a press launch, the Metropolis of Charlottetown stated it’s ready to open reception centres on Sunday, Sept. 17 within the occasion of prolonged energy outages.

Further hearth, police and public works crews will probably be introduced in in a single day as a precaution to take care of pressing issues.

For probably the most up-to-date information, residents ought to test native information and the town’s social media accounts.

Thinh Nguyen is a reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached by e-mail at [email protected] and adopted on X @thinhnguyen4291.