have you dug out your rain coats yet? I'm betting having to water won't be a problem for awhile.
Hurricane and Tropical Storm Warnings
WTCN31 CWHX 121803
SEVERE WEATHER BULLETIN
ISSUED BY THE CANADIAN HURRICANE CENTRE
OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA
AT 3:03 PM ADT TUESDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR:
CHANNEL-PORT AUX BASQUES - BURGEO
RAMEA - CONNAIGRE
BURIN PENINSULA
AVALON PENINSULA SOUTH
AVALON PENINSULA NORTH
ST. JOHN'S AND VICINITY
CLARENVILLE AND VICINITY
BONAVISTA PENINSULA.
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 KNOTS OR 70 KM/H ARE
POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY OVER THE ABOVE REGIONS. WINDS ARE
FORECAST TO GUST TO NEAR 120 KM/H.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
==DISCUSSION==
HURRICANE FLORENCE WILL TRANSFORM INTO AN INTENSE POST-TROPICAL STORM
AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST TOWARD NEWFOUNDLAND TODAY. SINCE THE STORM WILL
STILL POSSESS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS WHEN IT MOVES NEAR THE AVALON
PENINSULA ON WEDNESDAY..A TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR
THE EASTERN PENINSULAS OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND THE REMAINING SOUTHERN
PORTION OF THE ISLAND. SUSTAINED WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE..70
KM/H..ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP OVER THIS AREA ON WEDNESDAY WITH GUSTS
TO 120 KM/H. ADDITIONALLY..75 TO 125 MILLIMETRES OF RAIN ARE POSSIBLE
WITH THIS STORM. CONSULT YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC FORECAST FOR DETAILS.
NOTE..HURRICANE INFORMATION STATEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE
WOCN31 CWHX BULLETIN.
END/BOWYER
This message was edited Sep 12, 2006 6:20 PM
Yo Todd and aguy1947
Rain coat for digging_dirt too!
Hang on fellas!
C'mmon guys check in and tell us about it.
Florence brings gale-force winds, heavy showers to Newfoundland
September 12, 2006 - 23:09
By: TARA BRAUTIGAM
Peter Bowyer of the Canadian Hurricane Centre
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - Strong winds and heavy rain were lashing parts of southeastern Newfoundland as tropical storm Florence hit the province early Wednesday.
The storm was downgraded from a hurricane as expected by the time it approached Newfoundland's shores. Residents were told to brace for gale-force winds, tidal surges and torrential rain throughout Wednesday. Florence was set to unleash gusts of up to 120 kilometres per hour and 10-to 12-metre swells, forecasters warned.
"This is a bad storm," said Peter Bowyer, program manager of the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Dartmouth, N.S.
"This storm will continue probably to have winds at, or close to, hurricane-strength as it tracks all the way south of Newfoundland."
Between 75 and 125 millimetres of rain were expected along the southern and eastern coastlines of Newfoundland, the most densely populated areas of the province. Florence was also expected to batter the same regions with sustained winds of 70 km/h, with gusts to 120 km/h.
"Pretty much everyone in the southeastern third of Newfoundland .�.�. are going to find the conditions just deteriorating and it will be a very stormy day," Bowyer said.
A tropical storm watch was also issued for the northeastern part of the province.
As of 9:30 p.m. local time Tuesday, the eye of Florence was 420 kilometres south-southeast of Nova Scotia's Sable Island. It was moving northeast at 35 km/h.
The province advised municipalities to clear storm sewers and requested emergency personnel to be on call.
Residents were told to stock up on batteries and non-perishable food in the event of power outages. But some laughed off such warnings.
"I'm not even going to let the cat in," said Bill Oliver as he gazed into the city's harbour Tuesday, which was a picture of calm hours before the storm struck.
"I'll probably buy a rain jacket."
The 72-year-old St. John's resident said he has seen dozens of storms come and go over the city and has never been impressed.
"I've seen bigger storms in a bathtub," he quipped.
Bowyer also advised anyone tempted to get near the surging surf to stay away.
"It's always a bittersweet thing for us to talk about this phenomenon because we're basically saying, 'Look, the waves are going to be high and dangerous, so stay away from the coast,'�" Bowyer said.
"It's almost like, 'Oh, let's go to the coast and look at the big waves.' That's not a smart thing to do."
In July, officials at the Canadian Hurricane Centre warned that the temperature of a large section of the North Atlantic was three degrees Celsius above normal, thereby weakening the ocean's ability to cool tropical storms. Hurricanes tend to lose their power as they pass over cooler waters.
With few physical barriers protecting the province from weather systems sweeping across the Atlantic, Newfoundland is renowned for its wild weather.
On average, one tropical storm per year has passed within 300 km of the province over the last 35 years.
This message was edited Sep 12, 2006 11:48 PM
Well it's 7:40 NL time. Pelting rain in St. John's but the winds are gusting only to 65 km so far. I am forever hopeful that it will not get any worse. However, the winds are suppose to peak late afternoon. Cold too at only 11 C (they forecast 17 C)..if wrong about the temp, then perhaps wrong about the wind.
...I take that back...we just had a gust that made the house crack...my garden will certainly be over for this season.
Todd :(
Oh Todd, I'm so sorry about the possible effects to your garden. I'll keep my fingers crossed that both you (and your friends and loved ones) and your garden make it through this as unscathed as possible. --Ginny
I had house guests from Newfoundland last Thursday through Monday morning when they left to drive home. (They had driven their son to Queens University in Kingston). They are due to reach the ferry to Nfld tonight; so I hope that Florence has blown through by the time they get there. And once across, they still have the long drive to St. John's.
And oh yes, Todd, they said they knew of you if not really knowing you. Sorry about an untimely end to your garden.
Ann
Happy to see you haven't blown away Todd (sorry to hear about your garden tho). I must admit I would love to see one of your storms (in a very safe location ;). Please keep safe and us updated as the day goes by!
Pam
12:30 pm...the rain has been in fits and starts. Right now it is a heavy drizzle. If this keeps up we will be short of the 100 mm predicted. The wind has had gusts to 72 km...we have lost 1 large branch off our Magnolia accuminata and 2 large limbs off one of the Norway maples in the Bot. garden. I have no idea what's happening in my own garden. If the storm doesn't get any stronger, I might fair off OK. They are still predicting 120 km winds for late afternoon-early evening, but the wind is suppose to diminish after midnight and actually go calm by tomorrow afternoon. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Hoping for the best for your gardens Todd.
:'( Magnolia
2:25 pm. Well the wind has shifted to the SE from E...suppose to go from E to NE...might be a bad sign as it means the hurricane is getting closer to us, not farther away. Still heavy drizzle for the past couple of hours so no risk of floods at this time. Wind gusts have hit 102 km at the airport. No flights in or out. A mountain ash is the latest victim in the Bot. garden.
Todd
Just seen this thread. Hope its not as bad as our hurricane we had in 1987. We lost nearly half our trees where I used to live in Kent.
All joking aside. Wish you well and hold on tight!!!!!!
Steve
Well its now 8:00 pm...it is still a heavy drizzle with scattered showers...I think we will be far off the 100mm prediction. The wind has dropped significantly but is expected to shift to the NW later this evening and increase back to 90 km. So far, no damage at all to the garden...hopefully they will be wrong about the increase to 90 km again. Meanwhile, Cape Race, the closest point on the Island to the hurricane had gusts to 160km! No wonder there is not a tree in sight at that part of the Island! Thank goodness St. John's escaped those gusts!
That is good news Todd. Hope the worst is over for all of you.
Happy to see that you aren't bobbing out in the Atlantic Todd (and that your garden isn't heading off to Iceland). Ü
What a relief Florences' downgrading must be ( Nova Scotia's Hurricane Juan http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/juan/ and Ontario's Hurricane Hazel http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/hazel/en/index.html always comes to mind when there is a system that large heading up north)
This message was edited Sep 13, 2006 6:03 PM
Todd,
I was in suspense reading this thread! I'm so glad you seem to have faired out OK.
Pam,
Call me a nosy-parker, but you're so knowledgeable about climate and weather, I was wondering if you are a meteorologist?
Sandy
I call her our walking-talking encyclopedia.
She sure knows her stuff, that girl.
You bet, and if she doesn't know it, she knows where to find it.
LOLOLOLOLOL @ echoes (re encyclopedia;)!
Sandy I work on reference desk and in archives. For my job I spend hours looking at newspaper reels for obits and stories from Canada's past. I often think I've posted too much info ;) but hey I get to click for answering something (stats you know) when it's quiet there.
Stories like the above always catch my eye and I often have a hard time tearing myself away from them (and getting back to the job that needs researching). To be able to talk to someone like Todd who is going thro a newsworthy item has always made Dave's so interesting (and often nerve wracking when they are quiet).
This message was edited Sep 14, 2006 12:36 AM
Well Florence has passed. The winds backed to NW overnight with gusts to 85 km. Right now (7:30 am) the wind has gone to the W at about 45 km, so the worst is over. We ended up with about 50 mm of rain, which considering we have not had any significant rain in over 2 weeks, was actually much needed. The autumn crocus should respond quickly to the moisture.
I had no damage in my garden...just a few leaves to rake up. Right now the skies are clearing nicely so it should end up a lovely mid-Septemer day with a high of 20 C.
Thanks to everyone who voiced concern about my plight.
Todd
Thank goodness your ok, not to mention your garden. Was there much damage elsewere?
That's wonderful news Todd. I'm glad it turned out so much better than it could have.
--Ginny
So happy that your garden came through with no damage and that the storm hit, in general, was less than anticipated.
Ann
At noon it is clear blue skies and 20 C...its still breezy...40 km but overall quite pleasant. Driving around the city, I only saw a scattered broken branch and tall perennials and annuals look a little wind-worn. At the BG, our Castor Beans are not happy...at 8 feet tall and 3 feet leaves, they popped like an umbrella! Overall, it was a non-event..thank goodness!
Always good to hear! Ü The relief must be so great that Cape Race got the worst of it....I take it that humans, etc. also don't live there? BTW how did the wild horses fare on Sable Island?
The place that got 160 km winds was not Cape Race...it was a community on the south coast called Francoise. The winds actually blew a house apart with half the house ending up in the bay! Now I think we were very fortunate in St. John's indeed!