Another rainy, windy storm is expected in Metro Vancouver, bringing more of the usual wet, gusty, grey weather the region is famous for.
Environment Canada meteorologist Chris Doyle calls it "a typical kind of fall storm for southern B.C."
"We expect rain to develop later this afternoon," he tells V.I.A. Tuesday, Nov. 12. "There may be some showers before then."
The storm is expected to bring rains of 60 mm to downtown Vancouver with gusts of wind near the water potentially hitting 80 km/h occurring overnight.
"It's starting around rush hour; that's always convenient," Doyle says. "This evening there will be times with quite a high rainfall rate."
The meteorologist says he expects up to 5 mm per hour will fall in areas of North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and Coquitlam at the peak of the storm, with the peak of the storm happening around midnight. He notes up to 100 mm may fall over the next 24 hours in some localized spots of the North Shore Mountains.
"There's going to be a risk of ponding and localized flooding," he notes, cautioning drivers overnight to be aware of hazardous conditions.
Wind and rain will vary across the region
For people in the southern parts of Metro Vancouver, the storm will be slightly different.
"The southern parts of the city are a little more sheltered from the rain and a little more exposed to the wind, especially if they're in neighbourhoods closer to the strait," he explains.
The cities of Delta, Richmond, and parts of Surrey may only get 20 to 40 mm of rain tonight.
Near the water, winds could gust up to 80 km/h coming from the southeast. Inland it'll drop to 60 km/h gusts, with areas in the north of Metro Vancouver receiving lighter winds.
Vancouver's tall towers add to the wind woes
In Vancouver's downtown core the city's high rises could increase the wind, Doyle adds.
"During strong wind events these high rises can actually magnify the gusts," he says, noting gusts over the water of 80 km/h could get bumped up to 100 km/h between the towers.
"The buildings can create wind tunnels; be aware it could get gusty," he warns.
When will the latest storm pass?
The storm isn't a slow one, so by Wednesday morning it'll be calming down a bit, but Doyle says it'll still be wet and with a bit of wind.
"You'll still need your umbrella," he says. "And the wind is going to be gusty, so hang on to your umbrella."
While some forecasts note Wednesday could see lightning, Doyle says the chance is technically possible but very remote.
Beyond Wednesday Doyle expects Vancouver to slowly clear up with Thursday getting a mix of sun and cloud and Friday's skies mostly sunny with cloudy periods.
Temperatures over the rest of the week should sit between 12 and 8 C across Metro Vancouver, though the rain and wind will affect how it feels.
