With Hurricane Fiona moving through the Caribbean with significant and damaging impacts, it will soon head north across the Atlantic Ocean, possibly eyeing Bermuda along the way.
But where does it go from here?
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Forecasters are closely monitoring potential impacts across Atlantic Canada this weekend.
“While the exact track is still uncertain, now is a good time to start planning and preparing as there is no doubt that Fiona will have a significant impact on the region,” says Matt Grinter, meteorologist at The Weather Network.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a tropical cyclone information statement from the Canadian Hurricane Center (CHC) on Tuesday morning. This is as confidence grows with the storm’s path over Canadian waters.
Fiona is expected to travel north this week and develop into a large and powerful post-tropical storm on Saturday. It is expected to make landfall in eastern Nova Scotia or western Newfoundland Friday night or Saturday.
“Currently, the range of uncertainty regarding the center of the low as it approaches is approximately an 800 kilometer wide area (cone of uncertainty) centered near eastern Cape Breton,” he said. say the CHC in the statement. “Because we expect the storm to become quite large, the area of impact will be very broad.”
Also helping to fuel the situation is water temperature, a red flag. It is much warmer than normal, so it will allow the storm to maintain tropical characteristics and delay the transition to extratropical cyclone status.
Possible effects that some parts of Atlantic Canada may see include:
- big waves
- Waves
- maror
- Harmful winds
- Widespread power outages
- heavy rain
- flood
Up to more than 100 mm of rain is possible in Atlantic Canada with Fiona. The exact location of the heaviest rain is yet to be determined, but some computer models suggest as much as 150 to 200mm for the hardest hit areas.
“In terms of wind, gusts of over 100 km/h are likely with Fiona,” warns Grinter. “A large area will see these winds as the storm begins to transition from a tropical to a post-tropical system.”
Winds are strongest in the eye of the storm when it is a tropical system. As it begins to transition into a post-tropical storm, these strong winds begin to expand throughout most of the system.
“Stronger wind gusts are possible within the storm, with some areas even reaching 150 km/h,” adds Grinter.
WATCH: Now is the time for Atlantic Canada to prepare for Hurricane Fiona
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast details on Fiona’s path and possible impacts in Atlantic Canada.