Waves pound Ogden Point breakwater as strong wind blows during the first major storm of the year in Victoria, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

VANCOUVER - BC Ferries has cancelled many sailings on Christmas Day after Environment Canada issued dozens of wind and heavy rain warnings for British Columbia's south coast.

The ferry firm said the "severe" forecast meant all sailings between Tsawwassen and Duke Point in Nanaimo on Wednesday had to be axed, while trips between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. were also scrapped.

Sailings were also cancelled between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay in Nanaimo between 10:40 a.m. and 6:35 p.m. as well as trips between Comox's Little River and Powell River from 9:55 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.

BC Ferries said Tuesday afternoon that the cancellations were made "to ensure the safety of our customers and crew" and other sailings on Wednesday were also at risk.

It said the cancellations were "a result of Environment Canada’s severe weather forecast for high winds and waves in the Strait of Georgia and North Vancouver Island."

Environment Canada had earlier issued 24 wind and heavy rain warnings for the south coast on Christmas Day, as the region braced for the second in a series of festive-week storms.

The agency said up to 100 millimetres of rain could drench Metro Vancouver and other areas, while winds up to 100 km/h could hit Victoria and elsewhere on Vancouver Island.

The wind and rain warnings cover most of the south coast and Vancouver Island, stretching inland to parts of the southern Interior.

The warnings came after the first of three storms moved inland on Tuesday, having brought powerful winds that downed trees, cut power and blocked roads in some coastal areas.

It had arrived late Monday, with hurricane-force gusts up to 165 km/h recorded on the west coast of the island overnight, before the weather system moved out of the region later Tuesday morning.

The strongest winds were recorded before dawn Tuesday at remote Sartine Island, but gusts above 100 km/h were also recorded at several other locations off Vancouver Island's west coast.

BC Hydro said fallen trees caused outages on Vancouver Island, while Drive BC said the Sunshine Coast Highway was temporarily blocked by fallen power lines about 40 km west of Sechelt.

Elsewhere on the Sunshine Coast, fallen trees and downed Hydro lines partially cut Hanbury Road near Roberts Creek.

The third weather system is a low-pressure system that Environment Canada says will approach southern Vancouver Island early Thursday, although there was uncertainty about its path.

The agency says an anticipated southern track would confine the strongest winds and heavy rain to the south coast.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2024.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2024