People in southeast Saskatchewan may see trees swaying, debris flying through the sky, and cars struggling to stay in their lanes on the highways on Thursday.
A wind warning is in effect from Environment Canada, including Regina and stretching down to the U.S. border. The warning also includes areas around Fort Qu’Appelle, Weyburn, Estevan, Assiniboia and Coronach.
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Environment Canada meteorologist Dave Carlsen said the wind is expected to “increase quite dramatically” on Thursday morning.
“The worst of it should be between about 9 a.m. and noon,” Carlsen said.
“As of 5 a.m., Moose Jaw is gusting to 70 kilometers an hour, so the winds are already really, really starting to get pretty strong.”
Carlsen said wind speeds are expected to reach around 70 km/h, with gusts up to 90 km/h. He said those in the warning area may want to be cautious if they’re are out and about.
“With those kinds of winds, you can usually expect a lot of flying stuff, like papers flying through the air. It could take a rogue shingle off a roof, maybe break a couple of tree branches, but also make it a little bit difficult to be walking outside, especially if there is a crosswind that could throw you off balance,” the meteorologist explained.
He said residents may want to tie things down in their yards or bring them inside.
“There are usually a few things that can act like a sail, like a barbecue cover or even a trampoline, if it’s not anchored. Sometimes those things can get picked up a little bit. Usually, a trampoline won’t fly very far in that kind of wind and it just gets knocked over, but I have lost my barbecue cover in my neighbors’ yard a few times from pretty strong winds,” Carlsen said.
The high winds are expected to start to ease by Thursday evening.
The latest updates on the weather alert can be found on Environment Canada’s website.