Strong wind could strike Kent Wednesday evening

Published 2:01 pm Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Southerly wind speeds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts near 45 mph could hit Kent and the Puget Sound region late Wednesday afternoon and evening.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory until 11 p.m. Wednesday. Wind speeds are expected to peak between 4 and 8 p.m. before diminishing.

Impacted areas include Tacoma, Hood Canal, Olympia, Bellevue, Seattle and Bremerton and the vicinity of those areas.

Winds this strong can snap tree limbs and cause local power outages, according to the weather service. This will be the first event of this magnitude this season. These early season events tend to cause more damage and power outages than winds with similar speeds occurring later in the season.

Weather service officials advise that loose outdoor objects or light-weight furniture should be secured before the strong winds arrive.