Vancouver Island and the rest of British Columbia are bracing for a possible upcoming weather event that has meteorologists on watch.
As per reports from The Weather Network, the remnants of a typhoon and moisture streaming from Hawaii are set to converge and create an atmospheric river that will drench coastal British Columbia.
This weather phenomenon, while not uncommon in the region, has the potential to bring significant rainfall.
The upcoming weather event is the result of a convergence of two significant sources of moisture. The first is the remnants of Typhoon Bolaven, which, in its prime, was a formidable storm with winds equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane.
As it nears the end of its life cycle, Typhoon Bolaven is interacting with the jet stream and heading northward. Its remnant moisture is now bound for Canada’s west coast.
The second source of moisture originates in Hawaii, where a plume of tropical moisture is being transported to the BC coast.
“Typhoon Bolaven, once a mighty storm with winds equivalent to a Category 5 storm, is in the final stages of its life this weekend. The storm is rapidly falling apart as it climbs north in latitude and interacts with the jet stream,” said the Weather Network.
“The former typhoon’s remnant moisture will stream toward Canada’s West Coast this week, joining forces with another slug of tropical moisture that originated down in Hawaii.”
These two moisture sources, collectively referred to as an atmospheric river, are set to create a significant weather system that could be classified as a Category 4 atmospheric river. Such events are known for their capacity to bring heavy rainfall and sometimes result in flooding and landslides.
Meteorologists have indicated that the heaviest rainfall is likely to impact northern Vancouver Island and the Central Coast.
According to current models, these regions could see two-day rainfall totals ranging from 100 to 200 millimeters.
Rain-shadowed regions, particularly those in eastern Vancouver Island area and the Lower Mainland, are expected to receive significantly lower rainfall totals.
Tofino is expected to be one of the hardest-hit areas, with the possibility of receiving up to 100 millimeters of rain by Monday.
While it’s currently too early to pinpoint the specific regions in BC that will be most impacted, the Weather Network has indicated that based on current models, there is a possibility of significant rainfall in some areas by the middle of this week, which could potentially lead to problems.
As of this publication, there are no weather warnings for Greater Victoria or the remained of the island.
