In a rare weather event, Hurricane Fiona is barreling toward Canada

• Hurricane Fiona was downgraded from a Category 4 hurricane to a Category 3 storm Friday morning.
• The center of the storm was passing northwest of Bermuda with sustained winds near 125 mph.
• The Canadian Hurricane Centre says it’s expected to reach Nova Scotia by Friday evening.

Hurricane Fiona pounded Bermuda with heavy rains early Friday as it moved toward northeastern Canada. The storm’s centre was passing northwest of Bermuda by Friday morning, with maximum sustained winds nearing 125 mph and higher gusts, according to the US National Hurricane Center. The storm was downgraded from a Category 4 hurricane as it passed over the island, according to the report.

It is now aiming for Atlantic Canada, where the storm’s strength will be unprecedented in the region.

Fiona was expected to reach the waters of Nova Scotia’s maritime province by Friday evening, with “heavy rainfall” and powerful “hurricane force winds” expected to hit Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec beginning early Saturday.

“This storm is shaping up to be a severe event for Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec,” it said in an early Friday update on its website. “Numerous weather models predict a deep hybrid low pressure system with both tropical and intense winter storm characteristics, including very heavy rainfall and severe winds.”

Hurricanes are uncommon in Canada, with storms typically losing their main source of energy as they approach colder waters.

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However, such storms have occurred on Canada’s eastern coast before, including Hurricane Juan in 2003, which devastated parts of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and resulted in multiple deaths, according to Canada’s hurricane centre. According to the report, the storm also caused widespread power outages, significant tree damage, and record coastal water levels.

The North Atlantic, where Fiona is heading, also has some of the world’s fastest warming waters, with rising sea surface temperatures attributed to climate change.

The hurricane centre predicted that Fiona’s strong winds and rain would have “major impacts” on eastern Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, western Newfoundland, eastern Quebec, and southeastern Labrador.

“There will also be large waves, particularly along the Atlantic coasts of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and the eastern portions of the Gulf of St. Lawrence,” according to the hurricane centre. It also forewarned of the high risk of “storm surge,” or an abnormal rise in water caused by a storm, in parts of Nova Scotia, western Newfoundland, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The hurricane centre also issued a warning about downed trees and power outages, stating that “most regions will experience hurricane force winds.” It also stated that construction sites could be “particularly vulnerable” to the storm.

Fiona has caused widespread devastation, including eight deaths in Puerto Rico that are suspected to be related to the storm, one confirmed death in the Dominican Republic, and another confirmed death in Guadeloupe.

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