Winds knock out power to more than 30,000 Lower Mainland homes and delay ferries

Strong winds knocked out power to more than 30,000 homes across the Lower Mainland on Friday, with about 20,000 still without electricity in the afternoon, B.C. Hydro said, the Vancouver Sun reported.

"Many trees still have a significant amount of foliage, making them more susceptible to wind damage," B.C. Hydro said. Burnaby and Vancouver were hardest hit, with about 15,000 and 7,000 households affected, followed by Port Coquitlam and Surrey.

A power outage at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal delayed an afternoon sailing, with knock-on delays to later departures, and sailings between Texada Island and Powell River were cancelled because of high winds.

Environment Canada had forecast gusts of up to 50 km/h in Vancouver and up to 70 km/h near the Strait of Georgia but did not issue a wind warning.