With trees full of leaves, power outages are very likely and widespread wind gusts of 60 to 90 kilometers per hour are expected across the Maritimes. The long duration of this storm will increase the chances of outages Saturday and Saturday night.
Areas of southwestern Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are likely to experience the strongest winds, with the possibility of sustained winds of 60 kilometers per hour and gusts of 90 to 120 kilometers per hour or more, especially in exposed coastal areas.
Precipitation will be greatest along the northwest of the hurricane path. Totals of 50 to 100 millimeters or more are possible across southwestern Nova Scotia and much of New Brunswick, most of which will fall Saturday and Saturday night.
Further east, totals won’t be as high, but heavy downpours are still likely.
Lee is a big storm, so strong surf is a sure bet for Saturday, especially on south-facing coasts. The Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia is the area most likely to be affected and the Canadian Hurricane Center (CHC) warns of waves of four to six meters breaking along the coast.
Storm surge is also a concern.
While the Bay of Fundy will need to be closely monitored, the CHC has flagged the Atlantic Coast area from Shelburne County up the coast to Queens County and eastern Halifax County as the region most likely to suffer. coastal flooding.
During times of high tide, storm surge combined with waves can raise water levels up to a meter above the usual high tide.
So when does the storm come and when does it leave? Here’s a breakdown of what to expect.
Meteorologist Ryan Snoddon says Lee could make landfall as a post-tropical storm with tropical storm force winds of about 110 kilometers per hour, which he says is slightly less than the strength of a Category 1 storm.
Friday: last minute preparation
Friday will be a quiet day throughout the region. The winds will be light and it will be a great day for last minute preparations.
Friday night: rain and wind arrive.
The first bands of rain and gusts of wind will arrive overnight Friday and into the early hours of Saturday morning.
Saturday morning: winds increase
As Lee approaches the region, winds will increase in speed throughout the morning and we will see bands of rain, sometimes heavy, moving across the region.
Saturday afternoon and evening: Lee makes landfall
Lee is likely to make landfall in the region in the late afternoon or early evening as periods of rain and gusty winds continue.
Saturday night: winds remain gusty
This will be a long storm, so winds are expected to continue gusty into Saturday night as Lee moves through the region.
Sunday: Lee leaves slowly
As Lee moves into the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Sunday afternoon, we will likely see some sunshine in the Maritimes.
Stay safe and stay tuned for updates over the next few days. Meteorologists Tina Simpkin, Jay Scotland and I will keep you informed on television, radio and online.
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The Nova Scotia Office of Emergency Management suggests being prepared for at least 72 hours without power. This is what you should have.
