HALIFAX - A significant storm system impacted Eastern Canada on Friday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to five provinces. This weather event was influenced by Hurricane Melissa, which had recently transitioned into a post-tropical storm over the open Atlantic. By late afternoon, Melissa was producing hurricane-force winds of 130 kilometers per hour as it moved toward eastern Newfoundland.

Hurricane Melissa, which previously caused destruction in the Caribbean, was located about 700 kilometers southeast of Halifax by noon Atlantic time. The storm was traveling northeast at 70 kilometers per hour. Earlier in the day, it generated winds reaching 139 kilometers per hour. The hurricane also contributed moisture to a low-pressure system that had already caused significant rainfall in eastern Ontario and Quebec on Thursday.

Rainfall warnings were issued for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and parts of Quebec and Ontario. Residents in the Maritimes were advised to secure Halloween decorations due to the increasing winds. Nova Scotia’s Emergency Management Department warned that gusts could reach 75 kilometers per hour, creating hazardous conditions. “Wet and windy conditions may create lower visibility and increased hazards like slippery sidewalks and debris on streets,” the department stated. Emergency Management Minister Kim Masland urged caution, especially for children, saying, “So hold onto your hats and walk carefully with an adult. The candy will taste all the sweeter when everyone is safe.”

By noon Friday, power outages were reported in Nova Scotia, affecting approximately 2,000 customers. Bob Robichaud, a senior meteorologist at the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Dartmouth, indicated that weather conditions were expected to improve in central and western Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick by suppertime, potentially allowing for trick-or-treating. However, some communities in New Brunswick postponed Halloween events to Saturday for safety reasons, and similar delays were reported in parts of Prince Edward Island due to the storm's slow movement.

Environment Canada predicted that Melissa would likely become a post-tropical storm as it approached the southeastern edge of Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula Friday night into Saturday. Gusts of up to 80 kilometers per hour were anticipated in the southern and eastern regions of the peninsula, with heavy rain expected to last three to six hours. Waves could reach heights of seven meters along the peninsula’s southwest coast. The hurricane center noted, “If (the hurricane) ends up tracking further west, heavy rain and stronger winds may be felt for parts of the Avalon.”

Melissa made landfall in southwest Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of 295 kilometers per hour. It tied records for the strongest Atlantic hurricanes at landfall in terms of wind speed and barometric pressure. The storm has been linked to at least 19 fatalities in Jamaica and 31 in Haiti.