Atmospheric rivers, strong winds, and brutal cold are battering Canada right now, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands and forcing weather warnings across B.C., Ontario, and Quebec.

British Columbia Braces for Atmospheric River

British Columbia is bracing for a wet and windy week as an atmospheric river makes landfall, prompting flood watches and high-streamflow advisories across large sections of the province. The B.C. River Forecast Centre has issued flood watches for northern and western Vancouver Island and the central coast. As temperatures climb, snowmelt will pour into already swollen rivers, making the flooding worse. High-streamflow advisories also cover the southern B.C. Coast, including Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria, eastern Vancouver Island, the North Coast, and the upper Fraser region, stretching to Prince George.

Up to 250 millimetres of rain could fall in some areas by Wednesday, with coastal locations like Prince Rupert, Kitimat, Bella Bella, Bella Coola, and Kingcome Inlet expecting 100 to 200 millimetres between Sunday and Wednesday. The heavy rain hitting Monday as freezing levels rise will dump massive amounts of water into coastal rivers.

Even the mountains aren't getting a break—Whistler and the Sea to Sky Highway are under winter storm warnings. Up to 20 centimetres of snow is forecast before conditions transition to rain on Monday. Inland portions of the northern and central coasts are also under winter storm warnings. Wind gusts could hit 90 kilometres per hour in the Fraser Canyon and Chilcotin regions. Travel is also expected to be difficult on Highway 16 towards the Alberta boundary and Highway 97 through northeastern B.C. Due to heavy snowfall. Flood risks keep rising along the coast as the atmospheric river keeps pounding the region with waves of rain through mid-week.

Ontario's Cold Alert and High Winds

Hamilton's getting hammered by brutal winds and a temperature nosedive. Environment Canada issued a wind warning for Hamilton, Burlington, Brantford, and Niagara, cautioning residents about potential damage to roofs, fences, branches, and soft shelters, as well as possible local utility outages. Gusts reached up to 90 kilometres per hour, with winds expected to ease later Monday evening but still persist at around 70 kilometres per hour into Tuesday morning.

Mastheads

Environment Canada's telling people to tie down anything loose before it becomes a flying projectile.

Alongside the wind, the City of Hamilton has activated a cold alert as temperatures plummet. The city's Medical Officer of Health issues such alerts when forecasts predict temperatures at or below –15 C, or –20 C with the wind chill. Monday saw a high of 13 C, but temperatures were expected to drop drastically to a low of –10 C overnight, feeling closer to –20 C with the wind chill. Tuesday’s forecast includes a high of –3 C, with morning wind chills making it feel like –22 C, improving slightly to –10 C by the afternoon.

The cold alert spells it out: wind makes frostbite and hypothermia way more likely. The city's urging people to check in on elderly relatives and vulnerable neighbors who might be struggling. For those needing warmth, Hamilton recreation centres and most public libraries are open as warming spaces during their regular operating hours.

Quebec Hit by Widespread Power Outages

Tuesday morning in Quebec started in the dark—high winds knocked out power for hundreds of thousands. By 7 a.m., more than 200,000 homes were dark, and the number kept climbing. Montérégie took the worst hit with over 50,000 homes in the dark. Montreal, the Laurentians, and Lanaudière also reported significant outages.

Hydro-Québec blamed the outages on brutal winds—90 km/h in most places, but hitting 120 km/h in some spots. Hydro-Québec sent out over 1,100 crews to get the lights back on. The blackouts forced the Lester B. Pearson School Board to shut down schools across Greater Montreal, including Soulanges Elementary, Pierrefonds Community High, and the West Island Career Centre.

Environment Canada slapped yellow wind warnings on the Eastern Townships and Quebec City, warning of gusts up to 90 km/h. The agency explicitly warned that "These winds cause power outages" and could also lead to difficult driving conditions. Winds were expected to subside later on Tuesday, but the impact on daily life and infrastructure remained substantial.

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Emergency crews are still working around the clock, and B.C. Braces for more rain pulses through mid-week.

This article was created with AI assistance.