Over 237K without power

UPDATE 5:50 p.m.

British Columbia's Crown utility says power went out for about 237,000 customers Monday as strong winds battered coastal areas and parts of the Interior, and the lights may remain out for some until Tuesday.

A statement from BC Hydro says the winds have caused "significant damage" across Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the Lower Mainland.

It says more than 133,000 customers have had their power restored, but as of 5 p.m. Monday, about 100,000 were still without electricity.

Bulletins on the BC Hydro website say the utility is asking customers along the south coast to "prepare for the possibility of being without power overnight."

It says all available BC Hydro and contractor crews will work overnight to restore power as quickly and safety as possible.

UPDATE 2:15 p.m.

More than 150,000 households are without power in British Columbia after strong winds battered coastal areas and a large swath of the central Interior.

The BC Hydro outage map shows nearly 117,000 of those customers are in the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast, while the power is out for about 34,000 customers across Vancouver Island, down from close to 46,000 earlier in the day.

A statement from the Crown utility says the hardest-hit areas are Surrey, White Rock, Victoria and Sechelt.

BC Hydro says it had been planning for the storm and all of its available crews and contractors are working to repair the damage and restore power.

Environment Canada has lifted wind warnings for eastern Vancouver Island and the central coast, but warnings remain in effect for the island's west coast, as well as Victoria, Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley, along with a large area of the Interior stretching from 70 Mile House in the south to Burns Lake in the north.

UPDATE 12:14 p.m.

BC Hydro says about 100,000 customers are now without power due to a wind storm lashing the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast and Gulf Islands.

All available BC Hydro crews and contractors are responding to download lines in a widespread area.

“After a multi-year drought, vegetation has been weakened across the province, making it more susceptible to wind. As a result, many dead and damaged trees and branches have fallen, causing them to come into contact with BC Hydro’s electrical equipment,” said BC Hydro in a news release.

The power company is asking customers for patience as crews continue to work hard to restore electricity as quickly and safely as possible. Updated estimates for power restoration will be posted here.

ORIGINAL 11:38 a.m.

More than 80,000 households are without power across British Columbia as strong winds batter coastal areas and a large swath of the central Interior.

The BC Hydro outage map shows about 54,000 of those customers are in the Lower Mainland, with a handful on the Sunshine Coast, while the power is out for more than 30,000 customers across Vancouver Island.

Environment Canada has issued wind warnings for the island, the central coast, Metro Vancouver, the eastern Fraser Valley and parts of the central Interior.

The weather office says gusts of wind could reach speeds of up to 90 or 100 kilometres an hour over southern Vancouver Island, including the Victoria area.

It says gusts could jump to speeds of 110 kilometres an hour over northern Vancouver Island and stretching up to Bella Bella on the central coast.

Winds were expected to reach speeds of 90 kilometres an hour over Metro Vancouver and the eastern Fraser Valley, where special weather statements are also in effect due to heavy rain that was expected to ease later Monday.

Winter storm warnings are in effect for stretches of highway in the south, where the weather office says strong winds and heavy snow will create "near-zero visibilities and treacherous driving conditions."

The warnings cover the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt and Highway 3 from the Paulson summit area to the Kootenay Pass.

The snow was expected to taper off overnight, with accumulations ranging from about 20 centimetres at the Coquihalla summit to about 40 centimetres along the Kootenay Pass by Tuesday morning, the warning bulletin says.

Lower-level special weather statements are in effect for the Coquihalla Highway between Merritt and Kamloops, as well as Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton and the Okanagan Connector from Merritt to Kelowna, where the forecast calls for snowfall ranging from five to 10 centimetres.

In the central Interior, Environment Canada says strong winds were expected to peak at 70 kilometres an hour with gusts up to 90 kilometres an hour.

The warnings in the Interior stretch from 70 Mile House in the south to Burns Lake in the north and also include Williams Lake and Quesnel.

The winds were expected to drop later Monday, easing along the coast ahead of the Interior.