Storm Fiona hits Canada's Atlantic Coast, Thousands without power

Hundreds of thousands of people are without power as Hurricane Fiona began to batter Canada's Atlantic Coast. Parts of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are experiencing torrential rain and winds of up to 148 km/h (92 mph).

           

The Canadian Hurricane Centre warned ahead of its arrival that Fiona could be "a historic, extreme event", with expected power cuts and flooding. At least eight people died when Fiona cut through the Caribbean.

           

In a statement on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that it is going to be a bad one and asked everyone to stay safe and to listen to the instructions of local authorities and hang in there for the next 24 hours.

           

Tropical storm warnings were issued for the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and New Brunswick, as well as in parts of Quebec.

   



       

The country's eastern region could receive up to 10in (25cm) of rain, increasing the risk of flash flooding. In Nova Scotia, shelters were prepared in Halifax and Cape Breton for people to take cover ahead of the storm.

           

Severe hurricanes in Canada are rare, as storms lose their energy once they hit colder waters in the north and become post-tropical instead. But pressure in the region is predicted to be historically low as Hurricane Fiona hits, making way for a heavier storm.

           

Nova Scotia was last battered by a tropical cyclone in 2003 with Hurricane Juan, a category two storm that killed two people and heavily damaged structures and vegetation. Meteorologist Bob Robichaud warned on Friday afternoon that Fiona will be bigger than Juan, and stronger than 2019's Hurricane Dorian, which also reached the shores of Nova Scotia.