Weather statement calls for rain, strong winds on Halloween

The forecast is looking a little scary for trick-or-treaters ahead of Halloween.

A special weather statement issued Wednesday for all of Nova Scotia is calling for rain and strong winds on Friday.

Environment Canada says there’s potential for 30 to 50 millimetres or more of rain and winds gusting 70 to 80 km/h for most.

“There remains some uncertainty as to where the highest rainfall amounts will occur, but the potential exists for significant totals over some locations,” the statement reads. “Secure outdoor items such as Halloween decorations and garbage bins so they don’t blow around in strong winds.”

CityNews weather specialist Allister Aalders says the storm could move out in time for some trick-or-treaters.

“It’s going to come down to the exact timing of this system, the difference in as little as three to six hours in its arrival will have a major influence on whether we’ll see a break in rain and gusty winds move in just in time for trick-or-treating,” Aalders says. “It is certainly possible, but that’s more likely over the southwest of the province. Areas to the north and east will likely be in the rain and wind for much of the evening on Friday.”

He says moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Melissa is expected to feed into the system, but what’s left of the storm is forecasted to remain well offshore from Nova Scotia.

Environment Canada says rainfall warnings may be issued for some areas as the storm nears.

During a typical Atlantic hurricane season, between two and four named storms enter the Canadian zone between June 1 and Nov. 30. But this season has been unusually quiet.

Almost every time a named tropical storm has started moving toward the East Coast, a large high-pressure system has moved over the region, pushing the storm out to sea. That same weather pattern has been responsible for the lack of rainfall that has caused a widespread drought.

In August, Hurricane Erin — the first major hurricane of the season — entered the Canadian response zone, but it never came close to making landfall.

Authorities in Jamaica are assessing the damage from Melissa after it tore through the island nation on Tuesday as the fifth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record by pressure, and the strongest to make landfall since 2019.

Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated in eastern Cuba the hurricane made landfall as a Category 3 storm early Wednesday.

With files from Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press and The Associated Press.