Wind gusts and thunderstorms could cause power outages, Hydro-Qubec warns

Hydro-Qubec says Wednesday afternoon's wild weather,strong wind gusts and a potential for severe thunderstorms, could lead to power outages in certain sectors of the province.

The public electrical utility is warning residents to be prepared and isdirecting people to its website for tips on how to get ready for power outages.

Those tips include having a battery-powered radio on handto monitor the situation in case of a widespread power outage, putting together an emergency kit and having a flashlight readyrather than candles, which are a fire hazard.

Hydro-Qubecalso has an app to track outages and receive notifications to stay up to date.

Environment Canada has put much of the province under a severe thunderstorm watch, with more than dozen sectors included in the alert. Regions like Montreal, Quebec City, the Eastern Townships andCharlevoix are on the list.

"Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees and overturn large vehicles," the agency says on its website, encouraging people to stay inside if they hear thunder.

"Remember, severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes. Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year."