TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Canada The East on Saturday, September 24, 2022 braced for one of the strongest storms in the nation’s history. Hurricane Fiona rushing to Nova Scotia, nearly a week after destroying nations in the Caribbean.

Experts predict high winds, storm surges and heavy rain from Fiona, which is expected to weaken beginning Friday evening, September 23, 2022 as a Category 3 hurricane. However, Fiona will retain strength. of the hurricane as it crosses the Canadian Atlantic.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau postponed his departure for Japan on Saturday, where he will attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Trudeau will receive briefings and support the government’s emergency response, press secretary Cecely Roy said on Twitter.

Sustained winds peaked at 165 km/h Friday evening, with a hurricane warning in effect for most of central Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, which is home to more than 150,000 people, and parts of Newfoundland, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Fiona was due to land in eastern Nova Scotia early Saturday, but rain and wind had picked up by Friday evening.

“The center of this is one thing, but the weather associated with it is like rain and where all the winds are strong it will be over a much larger area,” said Canadian Hurricane Center meteorologist Ian Hubbard. .

“Many, many places away from the center of the storm will still be seriously affected by this,” Hubbard said. Reuters.

There will be strong waves and gusts, with 10 meter waves expected to hit the east coast of Nova Scotia on Friday evening.

Canadian authorities are sending emergency alerts to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. They warned of massive flooding along the coastline and very dangerous waves. Residents of coastal areas are urged to evacuate.

“We’ve had a few before but they said this would be the biggest of them all,” said Chris MacPhee, 53, from Sydney, N.S., who stocked up on products from groceries, batteries and candles. She said she felt “a little nervous, I think”.

The storm could prove more severe than Hurricane Juan in 2003 and Hurricane Dorian in 2019, Canadian Hurricane Center meteorologist Bob Robichaud said during a briefing.

The country’s two largest airlines, Air Canada and WestJet Airlines, suspended regional services beginning Friday evening.

Fiona devastated the Caribbean islands earlier this week, killing at least eight people and knocking out power to nearly 3.3 million people in Puerto Rico during a scorching heat wave. Nearly one million customers remain without power five days later.

Follow Fiona in the Caribbean is Tropical Storm Ian, which is expected to become a hurricane on Sunday evening. The NHC said a hurricane warning was in effect for the Cayman Islands.

Read also : Hurricane Fiona heads for Bermuda after destroying Puerto Rico

REUTERS (NESA AQILA)