Stormy seas and abnormally high ocean water levels are expected along South Island shorelines on Sunday, according to Canada’s weather agency.
Environment Canada is warning of “significant wind and waves” along the shorelines of Juan de Fuca Strait during high tide, affecting nearby communites including Port Renfrew, Esquimalt, Sooke and Victoria.
A confluence of seasonal high tides, a storm surge and strong winds will cause ocean water levels to exceed the highest astronomical tide, the federal agency said.
The agency’s latest weather notice follows a Saturday coastal flooding warning issued for West Vancouver Island coastal communities between Estevan Point lighthouse and Clo-oose, which is within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
Saturday also saw Environment Canada issue an elevated sea-surface notice covering a wide swath of the Island’s outer coast, from the North Island First Nations community of Kyuquot down to East Sooke.
The agency predicted that sea levels could reach 40 centimetres above normal high-tide water marks during the Saturday high tide.
Logs and heavy debris are expected to be deposited on beaches along the coast over the weekend and beachgoers could be swept into the ocean near rocky outcrops, the federal agency said.
