Thousands of hydro customers on British Columbia’s south coast were in the dark Monday morning as strong winds and heavy rain downed power lines and prompted storm warnings across much of the province.

Environment Canada says wind speeds of up to 110 km/h are expected in parts of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii, while the Lower Mainland and Interior regions brace for winds of up to 90 km/h throughout the day.

More than 23,000 BC Hydro customers in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast regions were without power as of 9 a.m., while another 8,500 were in the dark on Vancouver Island, according to the utility.

Environment Canada says between 70mm and 100mm of rainfall is expected on Vancouver Island, making roads near rivers, streams and canals possible to wash out, while parts of Metro Vancouver could see more than 70mm of rain.

Residents are urged to clear storm drains of leaves and debris to prevent localized flooding.

Police in West Vancouver, where some of the heaviest rainfall in Metro Vancouver was expected, said heavy rain and standing water were likely to blame for a single-vehicle rollover accident on Highway 99 early this morning.

Two serious crashes involving pedestrians were also reported in Langley and Delta, leading to road closures.

Environment Canada says winds in Metro Vancouver will change from strong southeast winds in the morning to strong northwest winds in the afternoon. “These strong westerly winds will also spread into the Fraser Valley,” according to the agency.

Snow warnings

Elsewhere in the province, winter storm warnings have been issued for the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt and Highway 3 between Grand Forks and Creston.

Environment Canada says the rapid accumulation and blowing snow is creating “near zero visibility and hazardous driving conditions” along both major highways.

Snow accumulations are expected to range from 8 inches at the summit of Coquihalla to nearly 16 inches at Kootenay Pass on Highway 3 by Tuesday morning, according to the weather office.

“The combination of heavy snow and strong winds will result in severely reduced visibility and heavy snow conditions,” the warning said.