The fierce winds that blew across Quebec Saturday night were felt in several sectors of the province, causing power outages in several residences.
By 7:00 p.m., just over 70,000 Hydro Quebec customers found themselves in the dark, according to the state-owned company’s Info Pannes website.
“The strong winds in southwestern Quebec are causing power outages. These occur when vegetation comes in contact with the grid after gusts,” according to the electricity company.
According to the first assessment, the Montérégie (24,513 customers), Laurentides (11,387 customers) and Lanaudière (5,788 customers) regions were most affected.
Nearly 11,580 homes were without power on Montreal Island and 4,165 in Laval at the same time. Centre-du-Québec (4,540 customers) and Estrie (5,538 customers) were not left out.
“As the winds continue, the number of out of service customers could continue to vary throughout the evening. Our teams are working to restore service as soon as possible,” he added.
Environment Canada issued a wind warning in the afternoon.
“The southwest winds are blowing at up to 90 kilometers per hour today,” read the warning that buildings could be damaged.