Heavy rains and strong winds in parts of B.C. throughout Christmas evening left thousands of customers without power on Boxing Day. People walk past a festive Vancouver sign on a rainy Christmas Day in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Dec. 25, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

VANCOUVER - Power restoration work is underway in British Columbia on Tuesday after heavy rains and strong winds in parts of the province left thousands of households without power.

BC Hydro said in a statement that at its peak at around 2 a.m., the Christmas windstorm caused outages for some 28,000 customers on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland and the Gulf Islands.

But by 2 p.m., the utility's online outage map showed that number had gone down to 4,691 customers who were affected, including the more than 1,600 customers who were in the dark in Lower Mainland and about 1,972 customers in Vancouver Island North.

BC Hydro said crews in the Vancouver Island region continue to make “steady progress on outrage restoration” after performing a helicopter patrol and finding fallen trees caused significant damage.

The Crown corporation said customers in the Zeballos area, a village on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, will still be without power tonight and crews will be back first thing Wednesday morning and they anticipate to restore it by Wednesday afternoon.

"We understand outages are disruptive and appreciate your patience," said BC Hydro, adding that the vast majority of customers are expected to have their power restored sometime on Tuesday.

It said the wind caused falling trees and branches to knock down wires, and it is warning people to stay 10 metres back and dial 911 if they see a downed or damaged power line.

Meanwhile, a yearlong ski resort on Vancouver Island is also warning visitors that there is no internet and cellular service at the resort due to a damaged cable.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort said in a post on its website Tuesday that calls to its call centre have been affected.

It said Telus has dispatched a crew to resolve the issue and they will keep visitors posted.

Environment Canada is advising people in the northern part of Vancouver Island and the central coast region of B.C. to brace for another round of "very strong winds" forecast for Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

The agency said in an advisory that residents can expect to see southeast winds of 60 kilometres per hour, gusting to 120 kilometres per hour.

It said loose objects could be whipped up by the gusty winds and cause injuries or property damage. The high winds could also lead to more fallen tree branches and power outages.

The strongest winds should subside by around noon Wednesday, Environment Canada said.

A flood watch the provincial River Forecast Centre issued Monday remained in effect on Tuesday.

Rising river levels created by Monday's storm were expected to result in peak river flows on Tuesday into Wednesday, the advisory said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 26, 2023.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2023