High winds and icy conditions trigger warnings and power outages

Extreme cold, flash freezing and high wind warnings are in effect for much of Northern and Eastern Canada.

Up north, the community of Kugaaruk, in Nunavut, is forecast to see dangerous windchill lows of around -55.

That frigid Arctic air is sweeping down through Saskatchewan and Manitoba, into Northern Ontario and Quebec.

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As of 4 a.m. Thursday, about 227,000 homes and businesses in Quebec and 28,000-plus in central and eastern Ontario were without power, due largely to high winds that blew in with a sharp cold front on Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Both provincial utilities, Ontario's Hydro One and Hydro-Quebec, say they have dispatched crews to restore service as quickly as possible. Other utility companies are also reporting sporadic power outages, including for more than 2,400 customers in Ottawa.

Wind warnings and flash-freezing conditions extend into New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and parts of Newfoundland.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published February 29, 2024.