Tropical storm Philippe bringing heavy rain to the Maritimes this weekend

HALIFAX – Heavy rain and strong winds are in the forecast for the three Maritime provinces this weekend.

Environment Canada has issued special weather statements for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, saying 50 millimetres of rain or more will fall across the region between Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.

As well, the latest forecast is calling for winds gusting at up to 80 kilometres per hour over exposed areas in all three provinces.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre says the centre of tropical storm Phillippe is expected to head north and pass the western edge of Nova Scotia around 3 a.m. on Sunday, before heading inland near the New Brunswick-Maine border.

Meteorologists say Phillippe will interact with a large, low-pressure system over Quebec and New England, possibly resulting in a rain and wind storm spanning Ontario to Newfoundland.

The storm’s track was expected to be similar to that of post-tropical storm Lee, which battered the Maritimes almost three weeks ago, pulling down trees, flooding shoreline roads and knocking out power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Feature image by iStock.com/madsci