A storm ripped though parts southern Manitoba Tuesday afternoon, leaving behind baseball-sized hail.
Tornado warnings were put in place by Environment Canada late Tuesday afternoon. However, there was no confirmation that any tornadoes touched down in parts where the storm moved through southwestern Manitoba.
A severe thunderstorm developed near Carberry, Man., shortly after noon Tuesday and moved southeast through Holland, Somerset, Manitou and then into North Dakota by late afternoon.
The severe thunderstorm lasted for four hours and brought with is large hail and strong wind gusts.
Norm Bruneau runs St. Claude Autobody around an hour southwest of Winnipeg. His staff have been busy with hail repairs all summer in the area.
“Although we saw a lot of hail claims last year, this year has the potential to surpass it,” said Bruneau. “The large amount of claims always bottlenecks the repair process but we’ve adjusted as best as we can for this year.”
He expects to see even more customers with damaged vehicles.
Manitoba Public Insurance said so far this year hail claims are behind last year for the entire province. As of July 19 this year there were 7,635 claims made. But the same time last year MPI had received 10,012. This year’s number would not include this most recent hail storm.
On Wednesday Environment Canada released a heat warning and severe thunderstorm watch for southern Manitoba.
READ MORE: Heat and humidity staying put in southern Manitoba
Temperatures throughout southern Manitoba will peak in the 32 to 35 C range Wednesday. Factor in the humidity, and it will feel anywhere between 40 and 45 outside.
The heat and humidity will also increase the risk of a severe thunderstorm for the south in the afternoon and into the evening. Large hail, high winds and even isolated tornadoes are possible.
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