Rain and wind warnings now in effect

A powerful pre-Christmas storm is on the way

CITYnews halifax \ Meghan Groff

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Rainfall and wind warnings have now been issued for the Halifax area, along with the majority of the Maritimes, as we await a powerful pre-Christmas storm.

As of 4 p.m. Thursday, Environment Canada expects the rain to start falling in our area Friday morning with winds building throughout the day.

It says wind gusts could reach 90 km/h, which could blow away anything that hasn’t been secured, including Christmas decorations.

There’s also the potential for downed tree branches and power outages.

By Friday night, rain could be heavy at times at there’s a risk of thundershowers. With the ground already saturated, the warning says localized flooding is a risk in some areas.

In total, we could see between 25 and 40 mm.

Expect large waves and storm surge along south facing shorelines of the Atlantic coast. The biggest threat for this is during Saturday’s high tides, which are around 8:15 a.m. and 9 p.m.

On Christmas, the forecast is calling for a mix of sun and cloud with a 30 percent chance of flurries and a high of minus 1.