EXTREME WEATHER IN VANCOUVER

Vancouver has been bombarded with windstorms all week. It has caused havoc in many parts of British Columbia, over 200,000 homes have been left without any electricity. British Columbia Hydro are working around the clock to restore power to homes but they have advised many residents to find alternative places to stay as they cannot say when power will be restored. Priority is also being given to hospitals and care homes. Some homes have been without power now since Monday when this storm front first hit Vancouver.

The worst of the winds came early hours this morning with winds in Vancouver around 100 kilometers an hour and parts of Vancouver Island experiencing hurricane weather with winds of upto 150 kilometers an hour. Many homes have also experienced damage from falling trees and this has also caused havoc on the roads. Stanley Park has been closed to the public today due to falling trees and staff are working hard to get the main roads cleared for the traffic that relies on the roadway through Stanley Park to the Lions Gate bridge.

This weather in Greater Vancouver has also effected the transport service, especially today. The buses and Skytrains have been delayed due to fallen trees and branches on the roads and Skytrain lines. Many of BC Ferries sailings have been cancelled, whilst others have been delayed and many of the road traffic signals are down. This has caused many problems for commuters trying to get to work this morning, however many found once arriving at work they had no power.

The extreme weather Vancouver has been experiencing lately is in question, is this the sign of Global Warming? In summer British Columbia experienced extreme heat which caused colossal fire damage to thousands of trees and to many homes. Then came the floods which again caused damage to trees and homes and left residents with undrinkable water for several weeks and many without any electricity. Then came the snow which again saw many fallen trees and homes without power and now the winds, more fallen trees and no power. Yet we still see global warming as not our problem but someone elses! When will be start to realize what is happening, not just in Vancouver but everywhere around the world.