Hurricane-force winds of more than 120 km/h are hitting parts of the British Columbia coast and more than 150,000 BC Hydro customers are without power as a "bomb cyclone" develops off Vancouver Island.

Some B.C. Ferries sailings were cancelled and some sections of highways were closed because of downed trees and debris.

Forecasters are warning of hurricane-level wind gusts as a "bomb cyclone" forms off the coast of Vancouver Island. Wind warnings cover the entirety of B.C.'s coast, with wind speeds of 90 km/h, gusting up to 120 km/h,

The use of terms including "atmospheric rivers" and "bomb cyclones" to describe weather phenomena has moved out of scientific journals and into the mainstream in recent years, but