Wet, windy weekend in the Maritimes as Philippe washes ashore
The remnants of Tropical Storm Philippe will bring widespread gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall as the system moves inland on Saturday
The remnants of Tropical Storm Philippe will arrive in the Maritimes this weekend, bringing widespread gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall as the system pushes through on Saturday and Sunday.
Post-tropical storm Philippe will arrive just three weeks after Lee pounded many of the same regions with high winds and rough seas that led to major power outages and coastal flooding.
While Philippe should be much less severe than Lee, the combination of rain-soaked soils and gusty winds could lead to localized power outages.
DON'T MISS: Philippe vs. Lee: How Atlantic Canada’s two storms compare
The Canadian Hurricane Centre (CHC) has issued a tropical cyclone statement for parts of Nova Scotia warning of heavy rainfall and powerful winds associated with Philippe and a deep trough of low pressure for Saturday and Sunday.
Philippe was downgraded to a post-tropical storm during the day Friday. Current forecasts bring the centre of the storm near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy on Saturday night into Sunday. Regardless of where the centre comes ashore, Philippe’s growing footprint will bring foul weather to a large portion of the Maritimes.
WATCH: What Halifax can expect as Philippe closes in this weekend
Weekend impacts from Philippe
We’ll start to feel the system’s impacts across the Maritimes as early as Saturday afternoon.
Heavy rain will push into the southwestern Maritimes on Saturday and push east through the evening hours. Widespread wind gusts of 80-100 km/h are expected across the Maritimes, peaking overnight Saturday into Sunday.
The storm is expected to make landfall as a post-tropical storm late Saturday into Sunday between the southwest Maritimes and New England. Before then, however, impacts will be felt as early as Saturday afternoon.
"We don't expect winds to be as strong as Hurricane Lee so impacts may be limited mostly to the breaking of some tree branches with the occasional power/utility interruption," the CHC says.
Rainfall totals of 30-50 mm are expected across southwestern Nova Scotia and western New Brunswick near the international border. Yarmouth, Saint John, Fredericton, and Edmundston are likely to see the greatest rain totals from the system this weekend.
As with the winds, waves and storm surge are not expected to be as bad as Lee, but the same stretch of coast impacted by Lee will be affected by Philippe.
"There could be some wave overwash and minor to moderate coastal flooding depending on the timing of conditions with high tide during the very early morning hours Sunday," the CHC warns.
By Sunday, the system will weaken into a fall-like storm, with rain and winds easing for the Maritimes.
Newfoundland will escape any ill effects from the remnants of Philippe, as the former tropical system will feel the effects of a potent fall storm over Quebec. The western system will tug Philippe’s remnants toward the west, taking an unusual track for storms affecting this part of the country.
Header image courtesy of NOAA.
Stay with The Weather Network for more forecast information and updates about Philippe and your weather in Atlantic Canada.
