Cristobal heading for Grand Banks

Wednesday, August 27, 2014, 8:40 PM - After strengthening into a hurricane Monday, Cristobal is expected to continue to pick up steam as it approaches Canadian waters later this week.

While it is not expected to hit land, its presence in the area will feed into other, already existing systems to have a marginal impact on the region.

"As hurricane Cristobal races northeastward toward the Grand Banks, a cold front will move slowly southward across Atlantic Canada Thursday," the Canadian Hurricane Centre said in a statement late Wednesday. "By Friday morning the two systems will merge into one giant area of low pressure with rain and gusty winds extending back into the Maritimes."

Temperature-wise, forecasters are warning of a "distinctly fall-like" feel as a result.

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The CHC says winds will become "increasingly gusty" in Atlantic Canada starting overnight Thursday into Friday, thanks to the interaction between Cristobal and the other system.

While the winds aren't likely to reach warning levels, the CHC says Newfoundlanders can expect gusts of in the 50 to 80 km/h range.

There's also rain in the offing. Like the winds, downpours will be only partially related to Cristobal, and the heaviest are presently expected to fall on Newfoundland.

"Some models indicate a possibility of 75 mm, but pinpointing the location of that possibility will be very difficult," the CHC says. "We may have a better idea by Thursday morning."

As for surf, Nova Scotia is expected to see some moderate surf and riptide conditions by Thursday, with Newfoundland in for the same by Friday.

As of 9 p.m. NDT, Cristobal featured maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h.

With files from Andrea Bagley.

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