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Manitoba Hydro crews are working to restore power to about 4,000 Winnipeg customers after Sunday night’s thunderstorm, but the Crown corporation says some outages could last until Tuesday and face further complications from more severe weather expected Monday.
High winds and heavy rains led to downed power lines and trees, particularly in Winnipeg’s Westwood and River Heights areas, Hydro spokesperson Peter Chura told CBC News on Monday morning.
About 4,000 customers in those areas were without power on Monday morning, he said.
Although crews worked through the night to repair damage and restore power to some, people in areas that suffered severe damage should expect “extended outages today and likely into tomorrow,” Chura said.
“We’ll assess the damage and concentrate on the damage that’s going to restore the most customers to power at once, and then work our way down from there,” he said.
“There’s more severe weather in the forecast, so that could complicate repairs and cause further hazards for people.”
Preliminary numbers from Environment Canada show 35 millimetres of rain hit Winnipeg overall during the thunderstorm, while The Forks got nearly 70 millimeters, and winds in the city reached 83 kilometres per hour.
Hydro is urging the public to stay away from downed powerlines and to report them to 911, said Chura.
“And remember, a downed tree can also be hiding other hazards, so stay away from those as well.”