“Strong winds are currently affecting large parts of Québec, with gusts reaching up to 90 km/h and as high as 120 km/h in some areas,” stated Hydro-Québec in a recent update.
As of 8:00 a.m. on March 17, 2026, more than 200,000 homes were reported without power across the province, with the hardest-hit areas being Montreal and Montérégie. Specifically, approximately 39,732 customers in Montreal and 76,778 in Montérégie were affected.
In addition to these numbers, Laval saw 13,884 customers without power, while the Laurentians reported 34,191 outages. The weather system began sweeping across the province on Monday evening and continued its northeastward trajectory into Tuesday morning.
The situation has led to several school closures in the Greater Montreal area due to the ongoing power outages. The Laurentians, Lanaudière, and Montérégie regions were particularly impacted, each with more than 10,000 addresses experiencing electricity loss.
Hydro-Québec has mobilized over 1,100 workers to restore service as quickly as possible. Environment Canada has also issued a yellow wind warning for several areas in Quebec, underscoring the severity of the weather conditions.
As the situation develops, Hydro-Québec is working diligently to restore power to all affected customers. The utility company continues to monitor the weather and assess the extent of the damage caused by the winds.
Despite the challenges, Hydro-Québec remains committed to providing updates and ensuring that restoration efforts are prioritized. The impact of the wind gusts has been significant, and the utility is focused on returning electricity to those affected.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the full extent of the damage and the timeline for power restoration, but Hydro-Québec is actively engaged in addressing the situation.
