VICTORIA -- BC Ferries sailings between Vancouver and Vancouver Island have been cancelled Friday morning due to strong winds.

As of 9:30 a.m., the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay have been cancelled.

Meanwhile, the 10:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. sailings between Tsawwassen and Duke Point have also been cancelled.

The cancellations come as weather alerts remain in place across Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands.

According to Environment Canada, winds of up to 70 km/h are expected in the region Friday morning, before easing in the early afternoon.

"High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break," warns the weather agency.

If a BC Ferries sailing that you have already booked for has been cancelled, the company says all fares and reservation fees will be automatically refunded.

If you remain at your terminal, BC Ferries says you will be loaded onto the next available sailing, based on a first-come first-served basis.

"The safety of our passengers and crew is of primary importance to us," said BC Ferries in an update Friday. "We don’t take the decision to cancel sailings lightly, as we know customers rely on us to get to their destinations. We will resume service as soon as it is safe to do so."

The latest information on BC Ferries scheduling can be found on the company's website here, or on the BC Ferries Twitter account.