BC Hydro restoring power after wind storm leaves thousands in the dark

mA woman struggles with an umbrella in the wind as rain falls in Vancouver, on Monday, September 25, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

BC Hydro is restoring electricity to customers after strong wind gusts knocked out power to thousands of customers.

Environment Canada issued wind warnings Saturday for parts of British Columbia and many are still in effect Sunday.

The agency warns that in Metro Vancouver, Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands there are strong winds of 70 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 90.

There is also a potential for minor coastal flooding.

BC Hydro's website had more than 13,000 customers in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast without power on Saturday afternoon, but that number shrunk to fewer than 550 by Sunday morning.

The utility also lists more than 1,800 customers without power on Vancouver Island.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2024.