Hurricane Sandy “quite likely” to have an impact in eastern Canada early next week

Hurricane Sandy will “quite likely” have an impact on parts of eastern Canada early next week, although it’s too early to tell what the impact will look like in particular areas, the Canadian Hurricane Centre has reported.

The storm, which had category 1 hurricane status at print time, will be moving through the Bahamas with winds in excess of 120 km per hour through Oct. 26. During the weekend, the hurricane is forecast to track northward while retaining its hurricane-level strength.

More than 20 people have died in the Caribbean from the storm, according to various media reports.

The storm will begin to lose some tropical characteristics early next week but will “remain a large and powerful cyclone as it shifts toward the east coast of the United States,” the CHC said.  

The centre said there are several factors that could change the storm’s track and intensity, so it’s too early to tell what the impact of the storm will be like in particular areas of eastern Canada, the centre noted.

Image: Hurricane Sandy over the Bahamas on Oct. 25 at 11:30 a.m. ET captured by NASA’s Terra satellite