‘Bomb cyclone’ hits B.C. coast, cutting roads and power [Video]

VANCOUVER –

Hurricane-force winds of up to 159 km/h have slammed into parts of the British Columbia coast as a massive storm swirling off Vancouver Island severed highways and cut power to about 225,000 people.

Winds from the bomb cyclone weather system were expected to reach 120 km/h on the central and north coast, although remote Sartine Island, off the northern tip of Vancouver Island was battered by the most powerful gusts, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.

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Winds exceeding 100 km/h were recorded in multiple areas late Tuesday, with gusts approaching 80 km/h at Vancouver’s airport.

BC Hydro says most of the blacked-out customers were on Vancouver Island, but there were also dozens of outages across Metro Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast.

The …