Widespread power outages in western Manitoba as wind wreaks havoc on crews

Manitoba Hydro says conditions got so bad Thursday night that they are unable to work to restore widespread power outages in southwestern Manitoba until the morning.

Strong winds and dust storms battered the province throughout the day, causing downed power lines and downed trees to cause a string of outages.

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And with the setting sun creating low visibility and wind speeds remaining strong, crews were forced to stop work from 10pm and will resume during daylight hours.

Manitoba Hydro at X: “Strong winds and dust storm conditions have downed power lines and broken trees across southwestern Manitoba, causing widespread outages in the Parkland and Westman regions.” / X

Dust storm and wind warnings remain in effect for much of the southern part of the province and wind speeds are expected to reach between 70 and 90 kilometers per hour on Thursday

The forecast isn’t much better on Friday, with winds coming from the west at 50 to 70 kilometers per hour for most of the day.