A series of storms is expected to work its way across the south coast of B.C. beginning Tuesday night, bringing high winds and upwards of 50 millimetres of rain through the week. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES

Fall’s first storm to bring heavy rain, high winds to Nanaimo, Oceanside

Sep 22, 2020 | 4:30 PM

NANAIMO — The first official day of autumn is set to be marked by the season’s first major storm.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement on Monday, Sept. 21 warning a parade of storms will move across the south coast of B.C. beginning Tuesday night.

Doug Lundquist, metrologist with Environment Canada, told NanaimoNewsNOW this one will come with a bit more heft than a typical late-September storm.

“This one is a bit more over the top, more November-like as opposed to end of September. We expect wind, may have gusts particularly near the Strait up to 90 kilometres per hour and then quite a bit of rain.”

An accompanying wind warning was also issued on Tuesday morning for sections of eastern Vancouver Island.

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Wind speeds in Nanaimo are expected to reach between 40 and 60 kilometres per hour along eastern Vancouver Island at points over the next week, gusting higher in exposed coastal sections or in the Salish Sea.

The series of systems is also expected to dump a large volume of rain across Vancouver Island.

“There’s so many different impulses, I think it’ll be over 50 millimetres total (near Nanaimo) but we’re really going to have to see where the storm goes and how much each individual event adds up to,” Lundquist said.

He added portions of western Vancouver Island could expect significantly more rain.

After Tuesday night’s first blast, which is expected to carry over into Wednesday, a second front is forecast to move through beginning Friday night.

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