Weather alert issued as gusts up to 100 km/h expected in parts of central, southern Alberta Saturday

Weather alert issued as gusts up to 100 km/h expected in parts of central, southern Alberta Saturday

Environment Canada warns of a risk of dust storms east of Edmonton

Environment Canada issued a wind warning Saturday for large parts of central and southern Alberta.

Gusts up to 90 km/h are expected in central and east-central Alberta, and 100 km/h gusts are forecasted in the far south of the province, the agency says.

Local utility outages are also possible in southern Alberta, it adds.

Driving conditions in all areas affected by the wind alert will likely be difficult, and high-sided vehicles will be pushed around by the wind, Environment Canada says.

The weather agency advises residents to secure loose objects, and warns about the possibility of damage to roofs, fences, tree branches or "soft shelters."

High winds in central and northern Alberta cause power outages, affect travel and voting

In Edmonton, strong winds have already brought down trees and caused traffic signal outages across the city, a City of Edmonton spokesperson told CBC News in an email Saturday.

The spokesperson advised drivers to treat intersections with dark traffic signals as four-way stops and report any fallen branches or traffic signal issues to 311.

The high winds also delayed a pro-independence rally outside Alberta's legislature. According to organizer Keith Wilson, co-chair of Let Alberta Decide, the weather conditions pushed the scheduled start time from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Environment Canada says the winds are expected to calm down Saturday evening.