Above: Tree damage in Kemptville

Wind Damage across area....

Here is a quick summary of the peak winds yesterday. There was tree damage as well as signs and power poles knocked down. Some structual damage and crushed cars were reported as well.

TORONTO PEARSON 78 km/h
TORONTO ISLAND 74
PORT WELLER 82
POINT PETRE (Sandbanks) 111 (Peak Gust in Province)
KINGSTON 80
OTTAWA 67
KEMPTVILLE 60 (may have been stronger locally)
CORNWALL 92
WINCHESTER 74
MONTREAL 84

High Winds Today
Environment Canada and The National Weather Service have posted high wind warnings for both sides of the border from Toronto to Montreal. In all areas today a sharp cold front will produce winds in excess of 50km/h with gusts as high as 100km/h. This is over Tropical Storm force to put things in perspective.

Already this morning winds are gusting to 42km/h here in Kemptville with some damage reported. Winds have topped 80km/h in Toronto and 98km/h in Port Stanley.

In addition short lived violent thunderstorms have been reported in a line from Alexandria to Cornwall moving east into Montreal. A second fast moving potent line had developed along the cold front and will move through Kemptville the Seaway and Montreal before noon today.

Be safe and forget about the umbrella.

For Marine interests, a Gale warning and waterspout advisory is in effect all day for Lakes Erie and Ontario. As well a Gale Warning is in effect for the St. Lawrence River.

I will have pictures later today.......

Strong cold front for Ontario/Quebec
A developing storm system over the Great Lakes will sweep a powerful cold front across our area tonight into Thursday morning. Showers and thunderstorms will accompany the front dropping more rain on already waterlogged Quebec City. Temperatures will drop behind the front on Thursday down to the single digits.

The big feature with this front will be Strong Winds from the southwest from 60-90km/h. These are capable of some wind damage, specially along the St. Lawrence and Richelieu Valleys and along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Warnings have been posted.

Heavy Rain is also forecast for the area north of Montreal and the upper Ottawa Valley.

A Wind Advisory is in effect for St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Lewis Counties in New York from 6am to 6pm on Thursday.

Rita sweeps Northeast
Heavy Rain Warnings for Montreal/Ottawa

Despite earlier predictions of Rita stalling out over Mississippi for the better part of the upcoming week, she has decided to spare the south her heavy rains. Thankfully the storm is being swept northeast along a trough of low pressure. The system will slide down the St. Lawrence Valley into Monday with heavy rains forecast. Upwards of 100mm could fall in Ottawa and Montreal. Heavy Rain Warnings have been posted from Kingston to Quebec City and north to the Laurentians. Embedded thunderstorms are also expected and winds could be gusty.

While many people in Texas are beginning to return home it is a different story in Louisiana. The southwest part of the state; basically what was not hit by Katrina, was hammered by Rita. Heavy damage was reported in both Vermillion and Cameron Parishes. It will be days before the extent of the damage is known. No exact figure on casualties is available.

Meanwhile the death toll from Katrina has exceeded 1000.

Rita Inland over Texas
Hurricane Rita's centre moved onshore near Sabine Pass on the Texas/Louisianna border around 3:30am this morning. The storm has pounded areas of southwest Louisianna including affecting the New Orleans area with another surge of water that has breached levees dumping 5 feet of water into portions of the city again.

It is early and damge assesments are underway, but it appears thea the Galveston/Houston area is going to be ok. I am very worried about the southwest coastal areas of hard-hit Louisianna. The state has certainly suffered another major event in Cameron Parrish and other parishes near the Texas border and along the coast. The storm is weakening further, but will remain a serious flood threat to Texas, Arkansas and Louisianna through mid week.

It is not expected to affect Ontario as a decaying depression.

Rita continues towards Texas Gulf Coast
Hurricane Rita is continuing to move towards the Texas coast looking eerily like Katrina three weeks ago. While a slight decrease in intensity has occurred, that is pretty much academic at this point. She remains a very dangerous storm capable of severe damage and destruction.

The outer most rainbands are beginning to sweep across the coast this evening from Mississippi west towards New Orleans. Heavy rain and thunderstorms will increase in coverage over the next 24 hours leading up to landfall. Seas are rising already along the immediate coast. Areas already hit from Katrina can expect flooding from Rita.

Traffic is moving so slow inland north towards Dallas. My fear is always that people will become trapped on the highways as the storm hits.

Strong high pressure is blocking the storm from moving rapidly north. This will mean a prolonged period of heavy rain and wind far inland towards the northern portion of the state and Dallas.

Rita...Katrina's ugly twin......

Rita has become a 5.....

At 4pm EDT Rita has been upgraded to a Category 5 and is steaming through the Gulf of Mexico, 735 miles ESE of Corpus Christie, moving towards the west. A turn towards the north is expected with landfall near Galveston Texas expected. Mandatory evacuations are now in effect for coastal areas along the upper Texas Coast. There is still uncertainty and the storm could strike anywhere from southwest Louisiana towards Corpus Christie, TX.

http://www.hurricanecity.com/ is an awesome site with audio, pictures and numerous other resources. Please visit and support Jim and his site. I will post numerous updates as the week moves along. For now there is no reason to believe that this storm will be any less intense than Katrina. The conditions remain very favorable for Rita up until landfall.

Ophelia, Rita and Snow!!!
I was on vacation for a week and am suffering from a bout of some kind of flu bug, but the weather never stops does it!
It was a wild weather week for certain across many parts of North America. While I was visiting the snow capped Rockies in the midst of an early winter storm, Ophelia was taking pot shots at my other favorite destination, the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Out west as much as 45cm of heavy wet snow fell in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta knocking down trees and power lines. In the valleys heavy rain, in some cases over 100mm fell. The rain has forced water levels on the Saskatchewan River to begin rising again.

Our attention is still on the Gulf Coast in the wake of Katrina. However we are now looking at newly formed Tropical Storm Rita. Rita is nearing Hurricane strength as she glides towards the southern Florida coast and the Keys tonight. The storm is expected to head into the Gulf and become a major hurricane. By the end of the week, she could be threatening the area from Louisiana west to Texas. This unreal season just continues to amaze me. At the same time Hurricane Philippe may affect Bermuda by weeks end.

Of Note: The western influence of Ophelia provided some lift to the rain over the weekend. Montreal had 35mm, Ottawa 25mm and parts of St. Lawrence County, NY hadover 100mm with flooding reported.
Below: Snow covered Rockies after last weekends storm

Hurricane Katrina devastates Gulf Coast

Eighty-percent of New Orleans is underwater today as the death toll soars along the Gulf Coast.

For some reason I have mulled over this most recent entry for many days and I am finally writing it. I have written it and rewritten it in my head several times. It is no great mystery to anyone who knew anything about hurricanes that New Orleans was vulnerable. 

I guess what is troubling me is the massive death toll we are expecting. Over the years many storms had produced large death tolls, but I thought the days of Camille (69), Betsy (65) and other storms were behind us. Forecasting science has become so much better, so has the ability to evacuate large areas of coastline. And yet we somehow failed with Katrina. FEMA and the US Government somehow forgot about those without cars or any other means to leave, as well as seniors and those under hospital care. Unfortunately it is these people who have been left behind, and in many cases will make up the large death toll. 

The images speak for themselves. It is beyond imagination the level of misery that we are seeing on the evening news. The word from those on the ground is it is even worse when you add the smell, sounds and inject 100 degree heat.

Flood ravaged downtown New Orleans, with Lake Poncthartrain in the background.

The task at hand is huge and being dealt with on a daily basis. The levees are being repaired the evacuees being dealt with finally and the bodies being collected. Canada is sending aid in the form of several ships, helicopters and Red Cross personnel. If you can help, please do so at http://www.redcross.ca/. Click on the Katrina link.

Of Note: In our area Katrina (tropical depression) moved through very quickly last Wednesday, August 31, with the worst weather along the Seaway. Cornwall had the peak wind gust at 79km/h. Rainfall was as follows, St Anicet, Quebec (on the St. Lawrence) 110mm, Montreal 75mm, Watertown, NY 100mm, Massena/Cornwall 80mm, Kemptville 40mm, Ottawa 35mm. Winds were gusty, over 50km/h along the St Lawrence River from Kingston to Quebec City.

The misery continues
Heavy Rain Warnings for Ontario/Quebec
Heavy rain warnings have been issued for the area along the St. Lawrence River from Kingston to Quebec City. The rain from Tropical Depression Katrina should overspread our area tonight and before it ends late tomorrow about 75mm (3 inches) is expected. This rain will be accompanied by near gale force winds (80km/h) along the north shores of Lake Erie and Ontario. South of the border a Flash Flood Watch is in effect for northern New York and Vermont including St. Lawrence County.

The devastation along the Gulf Coast is terrible. The waters keep rising in New Orleans. The images are somber. I find it so sad. I always drop pretty low after a hurricane......it is so sad to see the people's lives destroyed. As a weather person you always want the storm to take an uninhabited path. It never works out that way. I don't think the Gulf Coast will be back to normal for years. The damage is so complete. My prayers are with the residents.

• If you can help www.redcross.org or www.redcross.ca

Damage from Katrina historic in places

What was New Orleans blessing when Katrina wobbled this morning was a curse for the Mississippi Coast. By all accounts from numerous media sources the damage has been complete in places. CNN and other sources will provide us with days of coverage on that topic.

It is sad to see the considerable damage that has been done to portions of New Orleans. However the city, which is below sea level, would have been destroyed had the small wobble not occurred. For this hurricane on the global weather picture, that wobble was not significant, storms do this, most weather systems do this. The wobble might have represented as little as 25 miles on the map, but made all the difference in the world for The Big Easy. The city will live to see another Hurricane.

Ontario: Forecasters are expecting Katrina to move along the shores of Lakes Ontario and Erie and down the St. Lawrence Valley as a depression. The potential exists for 100mm of rain over a 12 hour period. While the winds will have greatly diminished by then, as they have already, we can still expect gusts from the south and southwest close to 80km/h. Stay tuned for any warnings as the storm draws closer.

Katrina on the coast

Hurricane Katrina at 0600 EDT is on the extreme southeastern coast of Louisianna near the tiny Mississippi Delta town of Venice just east of Grand Isle. Grand Isle has reported wind gusts over 100mph.

The storm overnight took a slight, and I mean slight wobble to the east and may spare New Orleans a "direct hit". It has also sucked in some dry air along its western edge and has lost a little punch. It is now a category 4, but still an extremely dangerous storm.

The Ontario Weather Centre has issued a Special Weather Statement for heavy rain and potential flooding in our area by Wednesday.

Numerous warnings remain in effect for th Gulf Coast.

Katrina nearing the Louisianna Coast
Hurricane Katrina, the strongest storm to threaten the US in years is about to make history. Any evacuations should be rushed to completion. The anticipated storm surge is on its way. Water on the barrier island of Grand Isle is already starting to rise over coastal roads. Winds have been gusting up to 45mph in locations along the immediate coast. The Levy system in the Parish's of coastal Louisiana is at risk.

• Katrina is the strongest storm I have followed since I began doing this in 1979. While many are comparing the storm to Camille in 1969, the storm reminds me very much of Hugo, that struck South Carolina in September 1989.

• The storm will affect Upstate New York and eastern Ontario by Wednesday with heavy rain and high winds. While it is too soon to tell how much rain will occur, over 100mm (4 inches) is not out of the question.

This site has great information for anyone looking for data on Katrina, residents and trackers alike.
http://www.disastercenter.com/Tropical%20Storm%20-%20Hurricane%20-%20Katrina.html

Katrina Stronger than Camille

Katrina stronger than Camille
Hurricane Katrina has just reached record levels in strength. At 11:00am EDT, the National Hurricane Centre reports winds of up to 175mph with a pressure of 907mb. The only stronger Hurricane to hit this area was Camille in 1969.

Both the Mayor of New Orleans and the Gov of Louisianna have issued mandatory evacuations for New Orleans. At present traffic is jammed on Interstae 10 west out of the city. The outer bands of the storm are starting to effect coastal Jefferson Co. near Grand Isle.

The following site has extensive coverage http://www.hurricanecity.com/ stay tuned.....

Katrina a hurricane once again
Hurricane Katrina has moved back over the Gulf of Mexico just north of Key West. The strom was downgraded for only a few hours over land after pounding southern Florida overnight. Three deaths from falling trees were reported. 1.5 million people are without power. Over 10 inches of rain flooded areas from southern metro Dade towards Cutler Ridge and Homestead.

The storm is now expected to drift west before assuming a more northerly path. Projections have the storm becoming a major hurricane prior to landfall late Sunday or Monday along the Florida Panhandle.

Further ahead I expect the storm to become a major rainmaker along the entire spine of the Appalachians from Georgia to New England. This path could bring heavy rain to Eastern Ontario and Quebec. This is however at least five days out.

Katrina moves inland...

The storm that has become a killer in a very short time is now inland over south Florida. The storm made landfall during the supper hour along the Broward County line with Dade County. The storm then took and unexpected wobble to the south and is pounding metro Dade and the southern suburbs. Two deaths have been reported thus far with more than a half million customers without power in the state. A wind gust at Port Everglades was reported at 92 mph. Forecasters expect the slow moving hurricane to dump upwards of a foot or rain on the state before moving over the warm Gulf waters. Katrina will then take aim at the hurricane weary state once again with a second hit in the Panhandle near Apalachicola. It is too soon to tell exactly where or how strong she may become once moving back over water. Updates can be found at the National Hurricane Centre website.
The storm may play a role in Canadian (Ontario to the Maratimes) weather next week. That is way in the future...Stay tuned.

This hurricane season has a lot more to show us before it ends.......

Those of you who know me please comment on the blog and tell me what you would like to see. Drop me an email at home or work... thanks.

Dense fog makes travel difficult
Heavy thick fog developed yesterday creating a dangerous travel situation for a few hours on area highways. Visibility on rural roads especially, was less than a kilometer in many cases. The fog formed after a brief rainfall Sunday and cooler overnight temperatures than we have seen in some time. With the longer nights, the air temperatures are cooling. Some trees are even beginning to show signs of color.

Below: The sun through fog on Highway 401 near Lancaster

Hot & Humid again....

• The intense heat and humidity are back through the balance of this week. Environment Canada has issued a Smog Advisory along with a Humidex Advisory. The combination of warm temperatures and humidity will push values over 40C today and tomorrow. A cold front will move through the area Friday with more widespread storms and showers. The air will dry out this weekend, but it will remain warm near 29C.
Right bottom: Storms move south of Kemptville last night.....

• Yesterday's near fatal crash of and Air France AirBus at Pearson Airport in Toronto was a direct result of the weather according to experts. At the time a very narrow band of heavy thunderstorms stretched from Georgian Bay south to Lake Ontario. The rain was intense along with frequent lightning and low visibility. Thunderstorms produce up and downdrafts at various speeds and directions that make it very dangerous to fly near. Most pilots avoid them all together. Thank God all the safety workers and Air France Crew did such a miraculous job. My hats off to them....

• Lastly the eighth storm of the Atlantic Hurricane season has formed near Bermuda. Tropical Storm Harvey is expected to produce heavy rain on the tiny island before moving off to the north and east. It may affect the Grand Banks like Franklin did, but it is too soon to say. Harvey is the 8th storm as I said, which makes it the earliest formed eight storm since record keeping began in the 1800's. The average, believe it or not, is September 29. Be safe!

More thunderstorms then a little cooler this week
It has been a very hot summer in eastern Canada. This weekend was no different with high temperatures close to 29C. Today will be warm and humid again, with a high near 31C. Some thunderstorm activity is expected along a cold front on Tuesday before splendid weather moves in for the balance of the week. Temperatures will be in the 24-27C range with low humidity and clear cool nights. Should be great mid-summer weather.
Over the weekend most of the severe weather was confined to Friday afternoon in southwest Quebec. Very heavy thunderstorms produced straight line winds that tumbled a whole bunch of trees and power lines in Mascouche, north of Montreal. In addition heavy rain fell from Valleyfield to the Ontario border with 43mm in less than an hour in St. Anicet, on the St. Lawrence River.

Over the weekend Tropical Strom Franklin wandered the Atlantic waters west of Bermuda, while tropical Strom Gert moved inland near Tampico, Mexico. Both storms are expected to be mostly rain makers and little threat to life or property. Amazing! 7 named storms and it is not even August...What a season!

The picture on above-right is last weeks full moon in Kemptville through distant thunderstorms......

Humidity lowering across North Grenville
A brief respite is in order for heat weary residents in Ontario and Quebec. Temperatures and humidity have been almost unbearable. The combination of warm temperatures and humidity values in the 70 per cent range had humidex values well over 40C yesterday and today. With that type of heat the dewpoints were in the Key West, Florida range!! Very tropical indeed. A weak cold front passage will begin to dry out the air slowly. Temperatures however will remain quite warm. The high tomorrow and Thursday will be around 30C while Friday should be a touch cooler with showers and thunderstorms, around 26C.

Hurricane Emily swept over the resort towns of Cancun and Cozumel and is now heading for the Texas/Mexican border. A hurricane warning is in effect for the south Texas coast. Tropical Storm force winds and high tides have begun and will continue to increase as the evening wears on. Brownsville is in the centre of the target cone for Emily.