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Downtown Portage Avenue closed due to wind-blown debris

By: Aldo Santin | Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg police closed downtown Portage Avenue this afternoon to vehicles and pedestrians after strong winds blew out windows from several buildings and construction debris and broken glass littered large portions of the area.

Winnipeg police Const. Robert Carver said Portage Avenue is closed between Kennedy and Carlton streets, and Smith Street is closed between Portage and Graham avenues.

Carver said the streets will remain closed until the winds diminish and it’s safe to be in the area.

Carver said construction debris was blowing off the new Manitoba Hydro headquarters on Portage Avenue onto the area below.

The wind is also blamed for blowing out sections of Plexiglas from the Radisson Hotel parkade on Smith Street.

Manitoba Hydro reports that the strong winds are to blame for power outages in the Kildare area in Transcona this afternoon.

Environment Canada issued a wind warning earlier today, which is expected to remain in place until later this evening.

Wind speeds in Winnipeg gusted between 65-80 kilometres per hour between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m..

Environment Canada said gusts between 60-90 km/h are occuring over most of the Red River Valley and portions of southwestern Manitoba this afternoon, but wind speeds are expected to diminish to between 40-60 km/h later this evening.

Gusts of up to 80 km/h are predicted in the Whiteshell area and into northwestern Ontario for the rest of the afternoon and into this evening.

Winds gusting up to 80 km/h have already been reported in Roblin, Brandon, Carberry, Shoal Lake, Minnedosa, Souris and Virden.

The highways department reports travel on the Perimeter Highway is slippery and travel is not advised on Highway 6.

Heavy snowfall is predicted for central Manitoba, with 10 to 15 centimetres in the Poplar River area this evening.

Power outages because of the strong winds were reported in several parts of the province.

Power went out in the Teulon area around 2 p.m. and Manitoba Hydro said that area remains without electricity.

Portions of the Interlake near Ashern were without power between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Areas near Brandon and Pilot Mound were without power between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The are power outages also reported in the Anola and Dugald areas.

The strong winds are expected to last throughout the night. Tonight’s low is expected to reach -8 C.

Sunday’s forecast calls for winds gusting up to 30 km/h. A high of -8 C is forecast, but with the temperature falling throughout the day to -14 C in the afternoon.

Sunny skies are in the forecast for Monday, with a high of -11 C and low of -26 C.