PEI

Teddy won't be as severe as Dorian, Environment Canada says

The damage from post-tropical storm Teddy won't be as severe as the damage caused by Dorian one year ago, says Environment Canada meteorologist Bob Robichaud.

Waves will be high as strongest winds will be offshore

The latest map from the Canadian Hurricane Centre shows Teddy passing through the eastern coast of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. (Canadian Hurricane Centre)

The damage from post-tropical storm Teddy won't be as severe as the damage caused by Dorian one year ago, says Environment Canada meteorologist Bob Robichaud.

Teddy has been downgraded from a category 3 to a category 2 hurricane, and is expected to be a post-tropical storm by the time it reaches Atlantic Canada on Tuesday.

Robichaud said the highest winds will be off the coast, while eastern parts of P.E.I. will likely get winds in the 60-90 km/h range.

"Those winds should not be damaging winds," he said. "There could be a few power outages, but not necessarily damaging, certainly not compared to what we saw last year."

There could be a few power outages, but not necessarily damaging, certainly not compared to what we saw last year.— Bob Robichaud

CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland said Teddy is likely to expand to cover a larger area as it interacts with an approaching mid-level trough. 

"As Teddy moves north toward Atlantic Canada, it will begin to transition to a post-tropical storm and weaken as it moves over cooler water south of Nova Scotia."

The heaviest rainfall — 50 to 100 millimetres — is expected in eastern Nova Scotia and P.E.I. (Jay Scotland/CBC)

Scotland said Teddy's projected track, intensity and timing is still subject to change in the days ahead.

"Teddy's wind and rain will spread out to cover a very large area after it transitions to a post-tropical storm with the heaviest rain — 50 to 100 millimetres — falling west of the storm's path and the strongest winds near its centre and east of the track."

Robichaud said those offshore winds will create large waves.

"The wave aspect of this is also something that is going to be potentially dangerous for, you know, for our marine community as well. So both from a wind and from a wave perspective, this is going to be something that is going to be a significant storm offshore."

He said there could also be water elevations in the southern gulf.

"As of right now, the storm surge model is not picking up on anything out of the ordinary there yet."

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