Power outages, Stanley Park closed: Winds blast B.C.'s South Coast
Winds gusting at up to 90 km/h have forced ferry cancellations on the South Coast, as a cold front Friday sent blustery weather through southern and central B.C.
Environment Canada issued wind warnings for Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands on Friday, predicting strong northwest winds of 70 to 90 km/h beginning Friday morning.
The agency warned the wind may be strong enough to send loose objects or tree branches flying.
BC Ferries cancelled several sailings between Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast by late morning, citing adverse weather.
"It can be extremely challenging docking at a terminal like Tsawwassen, which is quite exposed. and when we do get the high winds it can be extremely uncomfortable for customers travelling on our vessels," said BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall.
The Vancouver Park Board also closed Stanley Park due to wind.
The storm has also caused thousands of customers to lose power. At its peak, more than 73,000 BC Hydro customers were without power across the province, according to spokesperson Geoff Hastings.
"The vast majority of those are wind-storm related, and it's quite wide-spread." Hastings said, with the outages ranging from Vancouver Island to the Southern Interior.
BC Hydro has dispatched crews across the province and brought in extra contract workers to restore power.
In Metro Vancouver, including Richmond and Delta, the forecast is calling for gusts of up to 90 km/h near the ocean.
Slightly weaker gusts are also expected further south, and Environment Canada has issued special weather statements for the Nicola, Thompson, Okanagan, Shuswap, Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver and southern Gulf Islands regions.
The wind is expected to ease by early Friday evening.
This article was written for the CBC.