Winter storm hits N.S., bringing heavy rain and high winds

A winter storm has brought heavy rain and high winds to Nova Scotia, leading to the closure of dozens of schools and warnings from Environment Canada of possible flooding in low-lying areas and water pooling on roads.

The storm is moving across the province from west to east, with snow turning to rain as temperatures rise, creating the risk of ice pellets and freezing rain. Up to 30 millimetres of rain is expected in some areas.

With wind gusts expected to reach up to 100 km/h, Nova Scotia Power said it had stationed crews across the province to respond to expected outages.

As of 1:40 p.m., about 4,000 homes and businesses were without power, many of them in the Meteghan area of Digby County and the Coldbrook area of Kings County.

The forecast for Nova Scotia for Jan. 10, 2024. (Tina Simpkin/CBC)

High winds closed the Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and P.E.I. to all traffic.

In Nova Scotia, schools in the South Shore Regional Centre for Education were closed for the day, as were those in Digby and Yarmouth counties, although schools were open in Shelburne County.

The Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education also closed schools, and the Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial cancelled classes in the western and southern parts of the province.

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