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Montrealers still recovering from Friday’s record rainfall got another blow Wednesday as Environment Canada issued a special weather statement warning that heavy rainfall could accompany the afternoon’s thunderstorms.
“Heavy rain could cause local flash flooding and may affect structures, roads and buildings already weakened by last week’s events,” the statement reads.
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Similar statements were issued for a large portion of southern Quebec from the Ontario border to St-Raymond near Quebec City and parts of the South Shore, Laurentians and Laurentides.
The Greater Montreal area received a record amount of rain Friday, with an accumulation of 150 millimetres within 24 hours, according to Environment Canada. The amount greatly exceeded the average of 94 mm for the area during the entire month of August.
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Meanwhile in Puerto Rico
Tropical Storm Ernesto was poised to become a hurricane shortly after brushing past Puerto Rico late Tuesday as officials closed schools, opened shelters and moved dozens of the U.S. territory’s endangered parrots into hurricane-proof rooms.
Ernesto is forecast to become a hurricane overnight as the centre of the storm moves just northeast of Puerto Rico on a path toward Bermuda. Forecasters issued a hurricane watch for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as well as the tiny Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra, which are popular with tourists.
“Since there is some chance of Ernesto becoming a hurricane while it is near the Virgin Islands, a hurricane watch remains in effect,” the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
The storm moved over the U.S. Virgin Islands on Tuesday night. After passing Puerto Rico, it is expected to move into open waters and be near Bermuda on Friday.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record warm ocean temperatures. It forecast 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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