Environment Canada has issued wind warnings for parts of Vancouver Island, with strong southeast gusts expected to continue through Sunday morning and into the afternoon in some areas.
The warnings, issued early Sunday, cover Greater Victoria, West Vancouver Island and North Vancouver Island.
In Greater Victoria, southeast winds of 70 km/h with gusts up to 90 km/h are expected near Haro Strait and Juan de Fuca Strait. Environment Canada says the winds are forecast to ease below warning levels near noon.
On the West Coast, exposed coastal sections are expected to see southeast winds of 80 km/h with gusts up to 100 km/h, and winds are also expected to diminish later Sunday morning as a low offshore pressure system weakens.
The North Island will see the strongest winds of up to 90 km/h, gusting to 110 km/h over exposed coastal sections.
Environment Canada warns the winds may cause damage to roofs, fences and tree branches, and there is a risk of injury from flying or falling debris. Residents are urged to secure loose objects and take precautions if outdoors.
As the area prepares for heavy wind, BC Hydro is already reporting power outages affecting 2,526 customers on the North Island as of Sunday morning.
In Campbell River, 20 customers north of Brewster Lake Road were without power after a tree fell across power lines. Crews were on site, with power estimated to be restored by 11 a.m.
In Courtenay, 13 customers in the Piercy and Menzies road areas were affected by an outage under investigation, with restoration expected around noon.
In Tofino, two outages linked to planned work on equipment along the Pacific Rim Highway were affecting more than 2,400 customers combined. Crews were on site, with power expected to be restored by 4:30 p.m.
Environment Canada says wind warnings are issued when there is a significant risk of damaging winds and is urging residents to continue monitoring forecasts and alerts as conditions evolve.
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