Hurricane Ophelia churning towards Nova Scotia, Newfoundland

Hurricane Ophelia is tracking towards Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, likely passing the coast on Oct. 3 with 120 km-h winds, according to the Canadian Hurricane Centre.As of Sept. 30, Ophelia was a Category 3 hurricane, moving towards Bermuda. It is forecast to pass Bermuda on Oct. 1, weakening to a Category 2 storm. “A non-tropical low pressure system, with an associated frontal zone extending into the tropics, is forecast at the same time to move into the Maritime provinces,” the CHC says.”As Ophelia moves northward, it is expected that the front will nearly stall over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.”These dynamics will probably bring in quite a bit of rain, the hurricane centre notes.The greatest chance for strong winds from Ophelia is over Eastern Newfoundland and offshore waters. As of Sept. 30, there was a 50% chance of tropical storm-force winds over Eastern Newfoundland (60 km-h, gusting to 90 km-h). Chance of hurricane-force gusts over land is only roughly 5-10%.Johanna Wagstaffe, a CBC meteorologist, said Ophelia will likely be a rain event, with up to a possible 100 mm falling.