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Intense storm brings power outages, travel woes to parts of B.C.
More than 3,800 B.C. Hydro customers lost power as lightning forced YVR to halt departures and delay arriving flights.
An unusually strong storm impacted southern British Columbia overnight, bringing heavy rain and lightning that caused travel interruptions at Vancouver International Airport and left thousands without power.
"This was quite the system, hundreds of cloud to ground strikes... mainly in Vancouver/Richmond," CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe said. A low-pressure system brought moisture onshore, creating rare lightning across the South Coast.
British Columbia Hydro reported over 3,800 customers without power across the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast as of Sunday morning. From 9 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. PT Sunday, YVR could not facilitate departing or taxiing flights due to safety concerns.
Passengers should check flight statuses before heading to the terminal as Vancouver International Airport works with airlines to recover operations. Some flights remain impacted today while crews manage schedule recovery.
The River Forecast Centre issued a high streamflow advisory for the Central Interior due to 20 to 25 millimetres of precipitation expected, with 30 to 60 millimetres in Cariboo regions. Authorities warned Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet may close on short notice.