Environment Canada is warning of strong winds expected in Ottawa on Friday afternoon.
According to the weather agency, gusts could be between 70 to 90 km/h. It notes that the showers in the city on Friday morning could “generate” powerful winds. A cold front is travelling across the province and is anticipated to be in Ottawa by late afternoon or early evening.
“The passage of the cold front may lead to another wave of strong winds with the potential for wind gusts,” the statement reads.
The agency expects the winds to ease from east to west into Friday night.
There is a mild air mass hovering over Ottawa and much of Ontario. Temperatures started to rise on Thursday, prompting the National Capital Commission (NCC) to close the Rideau Canal Skateway temporarily to preserve the ice. There is a forecasted high of 7 C on Friday in the nation’s capital, much warmer than the -6 C normal.
The NCC shared that since the skateway’s opening on Dec. 31, there have been 170,000 visits to the canal so far.
As the strong gusts head into the city while the sun sets, the wind chill is expected to drop the temperatures to near -6, the forecast shows.
Saturday’s temperatures will feel like -6 with the wind.
