Winds gathered strength at the harbour in Port aux Basques, N.L., Tuesday, one of the ports where Marine Atlantic had parked its vessels. (Submitted by Michael S. Wall)

Environment Canada issued warnings Tuesday that fierce winds and pounding waves will strike numerous communities in Newfoundland.

The warnings cover the island's south coast, most of its west coast and the Burin, Avalon and Bonavista peninsulas, and compound travel problems that have already cancelled Marine Atlantic's ferry crossings to Nova Scotia.

Winds will gust up to 120 km/h in parts of the Avalon and Burin peninsulas.

Meteorologist Devon Telford said water levels will be particularly high on the east side of the Burin Peninsula, and in other areas as well.

"These strong winds that we have will be creating large waves and pounding surf for especially communities that are facing towards the northeast in Conception [Bay] and Trinity Bay [and the] Bonavista Bay areas," Telford said Tuesday.

In the notoriously windy Wreckhouse area in southwestern Newfoundland, winds are expected to top 100 km/h. The area acquired its name generations ago because of topography that made it possible for high winds to blow trains off their tracks or, more recently, transport trucks off the Trans-Canada Highway.

Marine Atlantic is keeping its ferries in port until Thursday, threatening the Christmas travel plans of hundreds of passengers. Canada Post has said it will not be able to deliver the contents of five large Newfoundland-bound trucks now docked in North Sydney.

Telford warned that high winds may not die down on the Cabot Strait until Saturday.