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Series of storms set to batter B.C.'s south coast

Heavy rains, strong winds set to lash southwestern B.C.
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Heavy rains and strong winds are expected to blast southwestern B.C. starting Wednesday night.

It might be time to winterize the patio and make sure the flashlights have fresh batteries.

A series of powerful October storms are on track to hit the B.C. south coast starting late Wednesday night.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement that residents across the Lower Mainland and much of Vancouver Island can expect heavy rains and strong winds from Wednesday night through until next weekend.

Total rainfall accumulations may exceed 200 milliimetres for western and inland areas of Vancouver Island, while inner coastal regions may exceed 100 millimetres.

Winds over exposed coastal areas may exceed 80 kilometres per hour at times during the storms.

The region was blasted by the first big storm of the season last Thursday night and early Friday, knocking out power to more than 29,000 customers at the peak.

The storm spared virtually no community on Vancouver Island's east coast, with winds peaking at 117 kilometres an hour at Trial Island near Oak Bay and Sisters Island off Salt Spring and surpassing 80 km/h in several other areas.