Forecasters are expecting a sizeable system to move in from the Pacific, bringing strong rain and wind to Nanaimo and Oceanside overnight Monday and into Tuesday, Nov. 17. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

STORM SEASON

Island braces for ‘meteorological bomb’, wind warnings in effect for Nanaimo & Oceanside

Nov 16, 2020 | 5:37 PM

NANAIMO — Mother Nature could be about to drop a bomb.

Wind warnings are in effect for much of Vancouver Island, including Nanaimo and Oceanside. Speeds of up to 70 kilometres per hour are expected on the Salish Sea and eastern coast, with the west coast bracing for upwards of 100 kilometres per hour.

Armel Castellan, Environment Canada meteorologist, told NanaimoNewsNOW when a storm system drops in pressure more than 24 hectopascals (hPa, a unit to measure pressure) in a 24 hour period, it’s referred to as a ‘meterological bomb’.

“When that happens it’s very rapid development and there’s usually a lot of wind associated with such a tightly packed low pressure system on our shores.”

The storm system itself is projected to skirt by Vancouver Island and make landfall on the central coast of B.C. Nanaimo and Oceanside will likely feel the impacts of the storm beginning overnight on Monday, Nov. 16.

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Forecasters expect winds to pick up on the east coast of Vancouver Island the following morning causing some headaches for ferry travel.

“Probably being halted or delayed or straight up cancelled during that period. Essentially after 9 a.m. the winds get quite strong…even though it’s not a direct hit it’s going to have those kind of implications for the Georgia Strait region.”

Snow is possible at higher elevations but is not expected with forecasters believing the freezing level will stay above areas like the Malahat and Hwy. 4 into Port Alberni.

While the projected impacts the forecasted storm are common for November, historically the wettest month of the year on Vancouver Island, Castellan said a system hitting the coast at 960-970 hPa, like what is forecast, is rare.

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