High winds caused widespread power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of residents in Quebec on Tuesday. Hydro-Quebec reported over 315,000 clients without electricity, decreasing to under 80,000 by 8:30 p.m. The most impacted areas included Montérégie, Lanaudière, Laurentians, Montreal, Laval, and Capitale-Nationale.
The outages were attributed to strong winds, with speeds reaching up to 90 kilometers per hour in some regions and up to 120 kilometers per hour in others. In the Greater Montreal area, several Lester B. Pearson School Board schools closed due to the power cuts, including Soulanges Elementary School, Pierrefonds Community High School, and West Island Career Centre.
Travel was disrupted as Exo commuter train services experienced delays and cancellations. The Vaudreuil-Hudson and Saint-Jérome lines were particularly affected, with some trains running nearly three hours behind schedule due to weather-related issues.
Hydro-Quebec mobilized over 1,100 workers to restore power swiftly. Environment Canada issued yellow wind warnings for various regions, cautioning about potential structural damage and the risk of injury from debris. Meteorologist Simon Legault explained that the windstorm was a result of warm and cold air masses colliding.
The wind gusts were forecasted to reach 85 to 100 kilometers per hour, with conditions expected to improve later in the day. Despite the challenges posed by the storm, no injuries were reported in Trois-Rivières, where a building’s roof was torn off and damaged a nearby parked car.
Additionally, a snow squall warning was issued for parts of the Outaouais region, the Laurentians, and the Mauricie, with motorists advised to be cautious of rapidly changing road conditions. Quebec’s Abitibi-Témiscamingue region also faced severe weather conditions, leading to school closures and transportation disruptions.