(CNN) — Canadians are preparing for what could be the strongest storm to hit their country’s coast.

Hurricane Fiona has hit the Caribbean, is expected to pass Bermuda as a dangerous Category 3 storm and shows no signs of abating before reaching Canada on Saturday morning.

“This could be Canada’s version of Hurricane Sandy,” said Chris Fogarty, meteorologist at the Canada Hurricane Center, noting Fiona’s size and intensity and its combination of hurricane and winter storm characteristics. Hurricane Sandy affected 24 states and the entire east coast, causing damage estimated at US$78.7 billion.

Fiona was about 1,200 miles southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia on Thursday morning, but that area is already bracing for a rare and historic impact.

“Take it seriously because we see numbers on our weather maps that you rarely see here,” Fogarty said.

The lowest pressure on record in Canada was 940 millibars in January 1977 in Newfoundland, said Brian Tang, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Albany. “Current weather forecast models indicate that Fiona will make landfall in eastern Nova Scotia with pressure between 925 and 935 millibars, which would easily set a new record,” he said.

A pressure of 920 to 944 millibars is what a Category 4 hurricane usually has.

Many meteorologists, including Fogarty, compare this storm to Hurricane Juan in 2003, which hit the Canadian coast as a Category 2 storm.

“This storm was much smaller. This one is huge,” Fogarty said.

Hurricane-force winds from the storm extend 112 kilometers in either direction from its center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend more than 300 kilometers. This means that a 225 kilometer wide runway could experience hurricane force winds and an area over 600 kilometers wide could experience tropical storm force winds.

And Fiona could get even bigger by the time the storm hits Canada, according to Tang.

Fiona’s Effects

Fiona is expected to reach Atlantic Canada late Friday, but the region will begin to experience deteriorating conditions early Friday.

Here is the latest update on #Hurricane #Fiona.

Hurricane Fiona has the potential to be a historic weather event in Eastern Canada this weekend, and we encourage the public to continue to monitor the forecast regularly.

Read the new bulletins on: https://t.co/QURfkCQp7W pic.twitter.com/RSdj9L75RI

— ECCC Canadian Hurricane Center (@ECCC_CHC) September 22, 2022

“Fiona is purely a hurricane right now. As it begins to interact with a cold weather system and a jet stream, it will develop into a super storm with the characteristics of both a hurricane and a strong autumn cyclone with hurricane-force winds, very intense and large swells and waves,” Tang explained.

The National Hurricane Center predicts the storm “will continue to produce hurricane-force winds as it moves through Nova Scotia and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.” In fact, the storm could still produce winds above 100 mph when it makes landfall.

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and western Newfoundland could see up to 152 mm of rain, with some areas up to 254 mm. This could cause major flash floods.

“We want people to take this very seriously and prepare for a long period of power outages and structural damage to buildings,” Fogarty explained.

Storm surges and large waves are expected in the area that could endanger people’s lives.

Some of the waves in the eastern parts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence could exceed 1 meter in height, and in the western Gulf there will be northern waves up to 66 centimeters in places, which could cause significant erosion on the north-facing beaches. .off Prince Edward Island, the Canadian Hurricane Center said.

The hurricane center also warns of coastal flooding, especially during high tide.

It had been approximately 50 years since such an intense storm affected Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. Both were winter storms, in 1974 and 1976, Fogarty said. Many people don’t even remember these two storms, so forecasters are trying to send a clear message to residents to prepare.

CNN meteorologist Judson Jones contributed to this report.