Hurricane Kirk Could Strike Canada This Weekend

Hurricane Kirk may be thousands of kilometers away, but its effects will reach Canadian shores this weekend.

Kirk, a record-breaking hurricane spinning through the central Atlantic, has become a large and powerful storm. Though it’s far from Canada, we’ll begin to feel its influence starting this weekend.

But Kirk isn’t the only storm to watch. Those in Florida should stay on high alert as a developing disturbance could bring heavy rainfall and widespread flooding throughout the state into next week.

Hurricane Kirk’s Impact on Canada

Hurricane Kirk has set a record as the strongest storm ever recorded so far east in the Atlantic this late in the season. Typically, strong hurricanes in October form much closer to North America. Kirk, however, resembles a storm you’d expect to see in late August or early September—a sign of how unusually warm the ocean waters are this year.

Forecasters reported that Kirk intensified into a Category 4 hurricane with winds exceeding 200 km/h late Thursday, maintaining its remarkable strength through Friday. The storm is projected to curve northward into the northern Atlantic, steering away from North America. However, it could bring stormy conditions to Europe by next week.

Even on its current trajectory, such a massive and intense storm can produce widespread effects, some of which will be felt in Canada starting this weekend.

The hurricane’s powerful waves will propagate westward throughout the weekend, arriving in Canada by Sunday into Monday. Beachgoers along the East Coast should exercise extreme caution, as the high swells pose a considerable risk along the shoreline.

Large swells generated by distant hurricanes frequently result in fatalities in both Canada and the U.S. It’s essential to avoid rocks, overhangs, and areas where turbulent waves could surge and pull you into the ocean.

Additionally, hazardous rip currents will pose a significant threat as these waves make landfall.