BC Ferries has issued a travel advisory for those planning to use their services on Tuesday, November 19th and Wednesday, November 20th.
The looming ‘bomb cyclone’ is rapidly intensifying off the coast of Vancouver Island and expected to hit most regions of the island and lower mainland with gale-force winds over the next 48 hours.
BC Ferries say that many sailings will likely be affected by the storm and advise travellers to check their service notices page prior to their trip to see if their sailing has been disrupted.
Thus far, cancellations have been made for the following sailings on Tuesday, November 19th:
- 7 p.m. from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay
- 7 p.m. from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen
- 9 p.m. from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay
- 9 p.m. from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen
- 8:15 p.m. from Tsawwassen to Duke Point
- 8:15 p.m. from Duke Point to Tsawwassen
- 10:45 p.m. from Tsawwassen to Duke Point
- 10:45 p.m. from Duke Point to Tsawwassen
- 8:45 p.m. from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay
- 10:10 p.m. from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay
As of this publication, no sailings on Wednesday, November 20th have been cancelled.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is of primary importance to us, and we will continue to monitor this weather system and share information as it becomes available,” reads BC Ferries’ travel advisory.
Environment Canada’s latest update to their wind warning predicts that strong winds and heavy rain will hit the Victoria region on Tuesday afternoon and last until late Wednesday.
Peak wind speeds are expected throughout Tuesday evening, through until Wednesday morning.
Areas that will be impacted by this storm are east Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Greater Victoria, the Southern Gulf Islands and inland Vancouver Island.
Easterly winds will be gusting up to 100 km/h.
“A significant fall storm is set to impact Vancouver Island beginning today,” said Environment Canada in their wind warning advisory.
“A rapidly deepening low pressure system will arrive approximately 400 km southwest of Vancouver Island by late this afternoon. This low is forecast to then curl northwards on Wednesday towards the Central Coast, remaining offshore through the period.”
The national weather authority added that some areas can also expect heavy rain at times during this storm, but winds will remain the primary concern.
Victoria’s forecast calls for showers so it will likely rain, but the storm is not expected to bring another atmospheric river to the region.
This weather system is called a bomb cyclone, which is also known as bombogenesis.
Bombogenesis is a storm which develops rapidly when atmospheric pressure drops at least 24 millibars over a 24-hour period.
Because of the heavy winds, Environment Canada warns that damage to buildings, such as to roof shingles and windows, is likely.
Additionally, loose objects may be tossed by the wind, branches and trees may fall on vehicles and homes and power outages are likely to occur.
The BC Government is warning motorists to be extra cautious when driving during this storm and to stay put if travel is unnecessary.
Drivers can check DriveBC for current road conditions, including road closures and live camera feeds.
