The sixth storm to hit the Atlantic this year is heading for Canada’s East Coast, but predicting where the slow-moving storm will hit has become more difficult than usual.
Still, the Nova Scotian government is warning residents to be prepared for anything.
Nova Scotia’s minister responsible for Nova Scotia's Emergency Management Office, Ross Landry, says coastal residents should also be prepared for any kind of disaster. That means having plenty of fresh water, fuel and medical supplies on hand.
Landry is also warning thrill-seekers not to get too close to coastlines.
Forecasters with the Canadian Hurricane Centre say the storm could arrive in Atlantic Canada early next week. But it is moving so slowly that there could be a wide range of possible effects.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Leslie stalled Wednesday night southeast of Bermuda. As of Thursday morning, slow-moving storm was 700 kilometres east of Bermuda. It’s budged only a few kilometres since.
In the days ahead, the storm, which was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon, should grow in intensity as it pushes past Bermuda. As it does, the south-facing shorelines of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia could experience rough surf, with waves as high as three metres.
Or, it might not make it to the region at all.
“There are still lots of unknowns in the prediction of this thing yet,” Chris Fogarty of the Canadian Hurricane Centre told CTV’s Canada AM Thursday.
The storm is expected to move only 250 kilometres over the next two days, which is comparable to a person’s average walking speed. Fogarty said Leslie’s next move is even more unpredictable because the storm has stalled.
“The steering currents for it are extremely weak and it could just as easily drift southward before moving north again,” said Fogarty. “That’s why we’re cautioning people not to focus in too much on the official track.”
