With a gale warning in effect, conservation authority officials are keeping an eye on the Lake Erie shoreline.
According to Environment Canada’s marine forecast, there is the possibility of 65 to 75 kilometre-per-hour sustained winds and as high as three-metre waves on the open waters of the lake Thursday evening into the overnight period.
There is also a special weather statement in effect due to forecasts for significant rain and southwesterly winds gusting 70 to 90 km/h that afternoon and evening.
Winds Thursday morning are expected to be moderate from the southeast, and then predicted to switch through the south, becoming southwesterly in the afternoon. Winds are also expected to rise throughout the day, becoming strong by noon, and likely peaking in the evening.
Speeds are predicted to drop off Friday morning and switch more westerly.
“While there still is some ice along the shoreline, it is not consistent and is not expected to be able to stand up to the waves being forecast,” Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority officials stated in a release Wednesday.
Wave forecasts in the nearshore areas are uncertain due to the presence of ice, but forecasts for the open lake suggest waves could reach two to three meters Thursday evening.
Temperatures are expected to remain above freezing throughout this event, with 15 to 25 millimeters of rain in the forecast.
There is a risk of shoreline flooding along Erie Shore Drive in Chatham-Kent from Thursday afternoon into the overnight.
“There is a high degree of uncertainty with regards to any potential flooding due to the presence of ice on the lake and along the shoreline which could dampen the waves, in addition to just the uncertainty in weather forecasts,” officials added.
Winds are not predicted to cause issues on the Lake St. Clair shoreline in the conservation authority’s jurisdiction.
People are urged to use caution and avoid the shoreline, due to strong waves and slippery conditions.