There have already been a few severe thunderstorm watches and warnings issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada in southern Manitoba this spring but this is the first time where the risk of severe weather is elevated to “severe”.
All forms of severe weather are possible -large hail, damaging winds, and heavy downpour- starting Friday afternoon and continuing overnight.
Friday will be hot, humid, and windy. Temperatures are expected to range from the low to mid 30s all across the south and humidex values are forecasted to be in the mid to high 30s.
There will be a few scattered showers in southwestern Manitoba early in the morning. Winds across southern Manitoba will be sustained at 40 or 50 km/h but gusts up to 60 or 70 km/h are possible. The risk for severe weather starts for southwestern Manitoba in the afternoon and will extend east into the evening continue overnight.
Environment and Climate Change Canada lists the risks of severe weather being large hail (2-4cm in diameter), damaging wind gusts from 100-110 km/h, and localized heavy downpours of 50 mm of rain.
Winnipeg could see shower activity start in the early evening but multiple models have the heaviest rain amounts arriving near the city closer to midnight.
Behind this system, rain will hang around on Saturday and temperatures will return closer to normal.