Hamilton under flood watch due to winds

Wave heights on Lake Ontario are expected to reach about a metre

The city is under a flood watch this long weekend as high winds could cause storm surge and wavy waters on Lake Ontario.

The Hamilton Conservation Authority warned of strong, shore-bound winds Friday into Saturday that could cause erosion and localized flooding along the shoreline.

Hamilton was expected to see wind gusts between 40 and 60 kilometres an hour Friday, said Environment Canada meteorologist Gerald Cheng.

Those gusts should have dropped to between 20 and 40 kilometres an hour overnight into Saturday, he added.

As a result, wave heights were expected to reach 1.1 metres, the conservation authority warned.

The weather forecast showed “unsettled” conditions for Saturday, with a few showers beginning early in the morning and the possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon, Cheng said.

By Sunday and Monday, the rain is expected to pass and temperatures should warm up, with highs forecast in the low 20s, he said.

The flood watch is in effect until Tuesday.

The conservation authority is reminding residents to be careful around lakefront areas over the weekend.

Earlier this month, a windstorm toppled dozens of trees along city streets, in parks and in cemeteries.

Wind gusts of up to 126 kilometres an hour ripped through the city, felling branches and hydro wires.

During that storm, a man in his fifties was electrocuted by downed wires in central Hamilton.

Thousands of local residents lost power — in some cases for days — while crews worked to restore service.

Dozens of homeowners in Stoney Creek and Winona were swamped with water from a wavy Lake Ontario.