Environment Canada gives update on hurricane Lee

An Environment Canada meteorologist said Maritimers should prepare for rain, heavy winds and storm surges when hurricane Lee makes its way to the region Saturday.

Bob Robichaud said in a news conference Thursday that what’s remarkable about Lee is how much ground it’s expected to cover.

“When we’re looking at this storm, what jumps out at you is the size… This is really a large storm,” he said, adding that it is not forecast to be as extreme as post-tropical storm Fiona — which hit the region about a year ago.

“Fiona was (also) a large storm — the biggest difference is the intensity at the storm’s arrival. In terms of intensity, (Lee is) nothing like what we saw with Fiona last year,” Robichaud said.

The meteorologist said the angle of Lee’s approach and the area it’s expected to hit hardest are different from Fiona, which caused widespread power outages and major infrastructure damage when it hit Atlantic Canada Sept. 24, 2022.

Robichaud said the storm is forecast to hit hardest in New Brunswick and the southwestern parts of Nova Scotia.

A hurricane watch has been issued by Environment Canada for New Brunswick’s Grand Manan and coastal Charlotte County, as well as Nova Scotia’s Digby, Yarmouth, Shelburne, and Queens Counties.

Environment Canada said Maritimers should expect significant rainfall amounts and high winds, which will “likely warrant wind warnings across the region,” said an Environment Canada statement.

The statement said that given the wet weather this summer, “soil conditions remain heavily saturated and rapid rainfall could result in localized flooding.”

As well, “as trees are in full foliage, strong winds could uproot trees leading to power outages across the regions closest to the track of the storm.”