Preparedness in Canada as the "historic" hurricane Fiona arrives

Hundreds of thousands of people were cut off power in Canada as Hurricane Fiona reached the country's Atlantic coast.

Parts of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are seeing heavy rain and winds of up to 148 km/h (92 mph).

The Canadian Hurricane Center warned ahead of the hurricane that Fiona could be a "historic severe event", with power outages and flooding expected.

"It's going to be bad," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday. "We encourage everyone to stay safe and follow the instructions of local authorities for the next 24 hours."

Tropical storm warnings were issued for the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and New Brunswick, and parts of Quebec.

The eastern region of the country can receive up to 10 inches (25 cm) of rain, increasing the risk of flash floods.

And in Nova Scotia, shelters in Halifax and Cape Breton were prepared before the storm arrived.

"We've been through these kinds of events before, but my fear is that it hasn't been that far," said Amanda MacDougall, Mayor of Cape Breton Municipality.

"The impacts will be significant, real and immediate," she added.

It is rare for severe hurricanes to hit Canada, as storms lose their energy once they reach the cold waters of the north.

However, pressure in the region is expected to be unprecedentedly low with the arrival of Hurricane Fiona, giving way to an even stronger storm.

The last time Nova Scotia was hit by a tropical cyclone was in 2003, when it was hit by Hurricane Juan, a Category 2 storm that killed two people and caused extensive damage to buildings and plant life.

Meteorologist Bob Rubichod warned Friday afternoon that Fiona will be bigger than Juan, and stronger than Hurricane Dorian (in 2019), which also reached the shores of Nova Scotia.

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