Over 2.5 million in the dark after Ian sweeps across Florida

The Naples Fire Department was inundated with storm surge from Hurricane Ian on Wednesday. (Photo: Naples Fire Department via Twitter)

Extremely powerful and dangerous Ian has been downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday morning, with 100km/h winds and a ton or rainfall. Ian made landfall at 3:05pm Wednesday, near Cayo Costa, Florida, with 225km/h winds and a record setting storm surge that exceeded 12 feet (3.5 metres) in places. The surge wiped out large sections of the coastline to the south of the point of landfall, including Fort Myers Beach, Naples and Sanibel Island.

While mandatory evacuations were in place, many chose not to leave, becoming trapped in homes that were coming apart in the rapidly rising storm surge as the Gulf waters were driven inland by the powerful hurricane. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno expects fatalities, and "they may run into the hundreds," according to him.

The storm has caused catastrophic destruction along the coast. As the system moved inland, fresh water flooding became the problem, with up to 300mm of rainfall, falling in just a six hour period from Sarasota northeast to Orlando and east into Daytona Beach.

Aside from structural damage and scores of trees down, thousands of power poles and lines were torn apart leaving over 2.5 million people in the dark across the state. 

The center of tropical storm Ian was located 15km west of Cape Canaveral, Florida early Thursday, with 100km/h winds, moving northeast at 13km/h. As the storm moves back over the Atlantic Ocean today, some intensification is expected before a second landfall along the South Carolina coast on Friday. More surge fooding is expected along the southeastern US coast, along with flash flooding well inland into North Carolina and Virginia. Widespread weather warnings are in effect.

Strong high pressure in place over Quebec, will keep Ian well south of our region, forcing the storm off the middle Atlantic coast near Delaware by the end of the weekend. The system may impact eastern Newfoundland early next week.

Catastrophic hurricane Ian making landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast

A NOAA satellite image of powerful hurricane Ian, located 90km west of Naples, Florida on Wednesday morning. Ian has strengthened rapidly overnight, to almost category 5 level, now with 155mph (250km/h) winds. The storm is expected to have devastating effects along the southwest Florida coast today.

Hurricane Ian has grown into a massive Category 4 hurricane early Wednesday morning, just 90km west of Naples, Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. Over the last two hours the storm has strengthened rapidly and is on the verge of a category 5 storm. Current winds are at an incredible 155mph (250km/h) as the storm moves north-northeast at 17km/h. Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are in effect along the west coast of Florida, and extending up the Atlantic Coast from Miami to South Carolina.

Landfall should occur sometime this morning, between Cape Coral and Sarasota on Florida's Gulf Coast. South Florida has been experiencing terrible weather over the last 24 hours as feeder bands swept across south Florida from the Atlantic to the Gulf. A total of nine tornadoes were reported on Tuesday alone, more are expected today as Ian interacts with the land.

In Key West, winds gusted to 97mph on Tuesday, along with storm surge flooding. Power outages across the state have grown steadily Wednesday morning to over 140,000 customers, with Ian still offshore. The storm will take a diagonal path across the state emerging into the western Atlantic on Thursday, before a second landfall in Georgia.

Across the southwest Florida coast today, catastrophic conditions are expected near landfall, with severe wind damage power outages, flooding and an intense storm surge. The surge is forecast to inundate the coast with 12 to 18 feet of sea water between Englewood and Bonita Beach, including Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda.

Ian's path was expected to be anywhere from the panhandle to Fort Myers, with Tampa looking like the bullseye. That has changed today, with a much stronger storm expected to move inland south of Tampa Bay. Dangerous weather conditions will be felt across the state today as Ian moves inland from the Gulf to near Orlando and eventually Jacksonville on the Atlantic Coast.

Heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes will spread into southern Georgia on Thursday.

The cleanup continues from Fiona across Atlantic Canada while Ian heads for Florida

Hurricane Fiona produced a record-breaking storm surge of 2.75 metres (9 feet) at Port aux Basques, Newfoundland resulting in widespread damage. It was here that Fiona claimed one of two Canadian fatalities, after a woman was swept out to sea. (Wreckhouse Press)

Nova Scotia Power along with crews from Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Maine, continue the daunting task of restoring power across Atlantic Canada. As of Tuesday afternoon, over 129,000 customers remain in the dark in Nova Scotia alone. Crews have been working 24/7 since Saturday. The Canadian Military is on the ground as well assisting with the cleanup efforts after Fiona swept across the region on Saturday. The storm claimed one life in Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, after a woman was swept out to sea. Her body has since been recovered by the Canadian Coast Guard. A second death was reported in Prince Edward Island. Damage was widespread from fierce winds, heavy rain and a record-breaking storm surge.

Fiona produced the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded on Canadian soil, 932.7mb at Hart Island. The storm made landfall in Nova Scotia at 4am Saturday, September 24, near Whitehead, 28km southwest of Canso, Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia Power utility crews work through a maze of wires, trees and poles in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. Over half the province was left in the dark after the storm. (Nova Scotia Power Photo)

Some of the strongest winds and heaviest rain were recorded on the eastern side of where Fiona made landfall. The surge at Port aux Basques reached 2.75 metres (9 feet), the highest ever recorded along that coastline. Homes and infrastructure were crushed by the rising water and intense wave action accompanying the surge. Winds gusted over 200km/h on Sable Island, 179km/h at Arisaig, NS, 177km/h at Wreckhouse, Newfoundland and 126km/h in Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec. Major damage from wind and surge was also reported in Prince Edward Island, where gusts up to 150km/h were observed. Maritime Electric on PEI is still reporting over 61,000 customers without power.

The region has a long recovery ahead, if you can help, the Canadian Government has announced that they will double any donations to the Red Cross made over the next 30 days. You can make your donation at www.redcross.ca

NOAA image of extremely dangerous hurricane Ian over western Cuba on Tuesday morning. (WMO)  

Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian is currently moving off the north coast of Cuba after punishing the area with 125mph (225km/h) winds and a 14 foot storm surge overnight. Ian is now taking aim at the west coast of Florida where hurricane warnings have been hoisted. Mandatory evacuations are underway across numerous coastal counties along the west-central Florida coast including parts of the Tampa Bay area.

The weather is already worsening in the Florida Keys and across the southern portion of the state.

At 2pm Tuesday afternoon, the strengthening category 3 storm was located 430km south of Sarasota, Florida. Ian is forecast to deepen further into a dangerous category four storm with winds approaching 140mph and a surge of over 10 feet before landfall. The hurricane should approach the Florida coast near Tampa Bay by late in the day Wednesday, before slowly crossing the state. Heavy rain, up to 24 inches (600mm), is expected to produce widespread flooding. Tampa has not has a direct hit from a hurricane in over 100 years. I will publish more on hurricane Ian later today in separate posts.

Hurricane Fiona slams into Atlantic Canada

Thousands of trees are down in Atlantic Canada after Fiona moved across the region early Saturday morning. Power is out to hundreds of thousands of residents. (Charlottetown Police)

 According to Canadian Hurricane Centre Meteorologist Bob Robichaud, Fiona was going to be an "historic extreme event." Fiona is living up to expectations early Saturday morning as the powerful post-tropical cyclone moves across Cape Breton Island and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

A spectacular image of Hurricane Fiona moving across Cape Breton Island and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence early Saturday morning. The storm produced the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded on Canadian soil, at 931.6mb. (NOAA)

Fiona made landfall at 4AM AST near Hart Island, between Canso and Guysborough in northern Nova Scotia. A new Canadian record for the lowest barometric pressure in our country, was established shortly after landfall at a weather station on Hart Island, at  931.6mb. Winds have been relentless, gusting between 100 and 150km/h in many locations since late Friday evening, with a peak gust of 202km/h (125mph) reported on Sable Island overnight.

A Halifax neighborhood ransacked by Fiona overnight. (CBC)

There has been widespread damage reported, with hundreds of trees down, many on homes and vehicles. Wires are everywhere according to Charlottetown, PEI police, who are responding to emergency calls only, on one of the "worst nights they have ever seen". Travel is extremely dangerous if not impossible across Nova Scotia.

The only silver lining so far that I can see, is that the storm is moving very quickly, which in the end, may cut down on rainfall and flooding in many locations. Forecasters were expecting 75mm to as much as 250mm of rain with Fiona. That being said, 65mm fell in Halifax already through midnight. We will need to wait until later today for more rainfall data.

In terms of power outages, Nova Scotia Power is reporting 405,000 customers in the dark, Prince Edward Island 82,000, New Brunswick Power 46,000 and Hydro-Quebec 6000. That number is changing by the minute. With winds still howling over 100km/ in Halifax for the last 6 hours, the task to repair the power grid will be daunting until the weather eases. Nova Scotia Power had staged crews in advance of Fiona, with help already in place from New Brunswick, Quebec and Maine.

Early Saturday morning, the center of Fiona was located 255 kilometres northeast of Halifax, moving north at 43km/h. The storm maintained 150km/h winds. The center will move across Nova Scotia early Saturday morning and eventually into eastern Quebec and Labrador later today.

Dangerous hurricane Fiona expected to make a direct hit on Nova Scotia

Powerful category 4 hurricane Fiona southwest of Bermuda early Thursday morning. (NOAA)

Hurricane Fiona continues her northward march in the open waters of the Atlantic on Thursday morning, located 780km southwest of Bermuda and 2010km south southwest of Halifax. A hurricane warning is in effect for Bermuda, with the system expected to brush the island later today. Fiona has already produced significant damage and power outages in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos. The entire power grid collapsed in Puerto Rico, with over 300mm of rain producing catastrophic flash flooding, and claiming at least 5 lives. 

Hurricane Fiona dumped 300mm of rain on Puerto Rico generating catastrophic flash flooding and claiming at least five lives so far. The US territory was left in the dark as the power grid collapsed. (AccuWeather/AP)

Our attention will then quickly turn to Atlantic Canada, where significant impacts are expected from Fiona, including but not limited to flash flooding, widespread power outages and structural damage from strong winds. Warnings for portions Atlantic Canada will likely be issued on Thursday. Wind and seas will be increasing rapidly Friday across Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec ahead of a potential landfall early Saturday morning in Nova Scotia.

The forecast track of hurricane Fiona as the powerful storm moves north towards Atlantic Canada. (Canadian Hurricane Centre) 

Fiona is a category 4 hurricane currently, with 215km/h (130 mph) winds. The storm is moving north, northeast at 20km/h, but is expected to slow down as she turns to the north on Friday. Forecasters believe Fiona will approach Nova Scotia at a rare angle, making a direct impact near Cape Breton before moving into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. As far a strength goes, while Fiona will be weakening and undergoing transition to an extra tropical low,  she will remain a powerful storm with category two wind speeds expected in excess of 150km/h in gusts. The wind field will also be expanding, impacting a wide region from western Newfoundland to the Gaspe region of Quebec.

Rainfall will be significant with up to 250mm possible in the hardest hit regions. Storm surge flooding will also occur, especially to the east of landfall. Later the flooding will come from the backside of Fiona, impacting the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and eastern Quebec.

This is a preliminary report on the Fiona's Canadian impacts. I will post updates through the storm.

Another round of heavy rain for southern Quebec

Windswept rain greeted many on the commute home last Tuesday, September 13. The heavy rain produced flash flooding in many sections of Montreal, but especially in the east end suburbs. More heavy rain is expected this week, with up to 50mm possible by Tuesday. (ValleyWeather Photo)

A potent frontal boundary will become the focus for steady rainfall, showers and isolated thunderstorms over the next 36 hours across southern Quebec. Rainfall amounts will approach 50mm (2 inches) in many locations, including Montreal by Tuesday morning. Isolated amounts may approach 75mm south of the St. Lawrence Valley towards the international border. The heavy rain will create ponding of water on roadways and some flash flooding. Leaves are beginning to fall so roads may be slick in spots.

Showers will persist through Thursday as low pressure develops in the Ottawa Valley and moves east. Temperatures will be close to seasonal normals, with highs near 18C (65F) and lows around 12C (54F). Much colder air will arrive by late Thursday as a strong cold front moves across the region. By Friday, daytime highs will be in the low teens with overnight lows in the lower single digits. Some regions away from metro Montreal may even be looking at the first frost of the season by Saturday morning.

The torrential rain rapidly filled many roadways last Tuesday, with over 100mm (4 inches) falling in many sections of the city, including Rosemount shown above. (CBC Photo via Twitter)

The precipitation comes on the heels of Tuesdays major rainstorm in the Montreal region and points east. Rounds of training showers and thunderstorms over a 1 to 3 hour period on September 13, produced flash flooding from downtown Montreal, especially the eastern suburbs, and onto the South Shore.  I measured only 20 to 25mm here on Ile Perrot, while Trudeau Airport had 27mm. But it was downtown Montreal and points east that took the brunt of the storm. According to Environment Canada, downtown Montreal averaged 80 to 110mm of rain, including 40mm in a one hour period. RDP and Repentigny reported 70 to 100mm, while Longueil had 125mm and Joliette 100 to 120mm, including 90mm in under two hours. The result was major flash flooding that flooded basements, underpasses, closed highways and inundated several metro stations. Thankfully no injuries were reported.

NOAA Satellite image of strengthening hurricane Fiona just south of Puerto Rico midday Sunday, September 18.

Hurricane Fiona

As I write this post, Fiona has just reached hurricane status 80km south of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The storm has 130km/h winds and is moving west-northwest at 13km/h. Warnings are in effect across the Virgin Island, Puerto Rico and neighboring Dominican Republic. Heavy rain, up to 300mm, is expected to produce major flooding and mudslides. Winds have already been reported up to 120km/h across the US territory. The power grid is notoriously bad, and outages have already reached a half million on the island. Fiona is expected to curve northwestward and eventually northeast along the outer edge of the Bermuda high while strengthening into a major hurricane. The storm may generate some weather in Atlantic Canada by late next week, but details will need to be fine-tuned.

**Just a final note, I apologize for the lack of posts lately, I have been a little "under the weather", pardon the pun. Thanks for reading and stay safe everyone...SB

Superb late summer weather expected for Montreal

A flash of lightning turns night into day on Ile Perrot late last Tuesday evening. As with most thunderstorms this summer in Montreal, its bark was worse than its bite. Many storms have been weakening before hitting the city or slipping by to our north and south. Last week several strong storms impacted the Ottawa Valley with hail and even a tornado. The storms looked menacing, but dissipated west of the city. (ValleyWeather Photo)

If you love summer weather, than you'll love this forecast! After a cool start to September, summer temperatures are set to make a return to southern Quebec. High pressure will build into the region and move slowly east through the upcoming weekend. The result will be sunshine with warming temperatures. The highs will be in the upper 20s in Montreal through Sunday, with lows in the middle teens. The next chance for any precipitation will not arrive before next Monday.

Montreal continues to be rather dry this month as compared to neighbouring portions of southern Quebec and Ontario as well as New York and New England. So far in September, only 3mm of rain has fallen at Trudeau Airport. Most regions outside the metro Montreal area have received considerably more rain. It has been a very odd summer all around, with many thunderstorms splitting the city to the south and north and missing Montreal or weakening considerably before hitting the city. 

Large portions of North America have been experiencing warm temperatures, including searing heat across the southwestern US stretching northward into the southern Prairies. On Tuesday, Sacramento, California reached an all-time record high of 46.7C (116F), breaking the previous record of 114F set in July 1925. Temperatures soared into the middle 30s (90s) as far north as southern Saskatchewan.

A NOAA Satellite image of Hurricane Earl on Wednesday, located 705km south of Bermuda in the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Earl may impact the waters east of Newfoundland by late in the weekend with heavy surf. (NWS/NOAA)

Tropics become active

It has been a very quite Atlantic tropical season to date, but that may be changing. On Wednesday, a tropical storm warning was posted for Bermuda, as hurricane Earl swirled in the open waters of the Atlantic, 705 km south of the island nation. Winds in Earl have increased to 85km/h and further strengthening is expected into Thursday. Earl is expected to become a major hurricane as the storm passes southeast of Bermuda. Earl is generating huge swells along the east coast, with coastal flood advisories in place for sections of the middle Atlantic states. Earl may impact the coastal waters of Atlantic Canada late this upcoming weekend.

Along the west coast, a rare northward moving hurricane is impacting portions of Baja California as far north as the US border. Hurricane Kay, with 165km/h winds, was located Wednesday afternoon 340km/h south of Baja, Mexico. Kay is expected to gradually turn northwest out to sea, but not before pushing some much needed rain into southern California and Arizona.