EDMONTON – Tornado warnings and watches were issued for parts of Leduc County and the County of Wetaskiwin Tuesday evening.
Radar indicated a severe thunderstorm was moving along the west shore of Pigeon Lake at 50 kilometres per hour. The storm had a “significant rotation” and was thought to have potential of turning into a tornado, as well as producing large hail, strong wind gusts and heavy rainfall.
Environment Canada called it “a dangerous and life-threatening situation,” advising people to “take cover…in a sturdy permanent building or underground” if they see a funnel cloud, swirling debris near the ground, flying debris, or any threatening weather approaching.
CHILDREN INJURED
But it was in Edmonton’s northeast that emergency crews responded to after a severe thunderstorm tore through a children’s camp set up at the Our Lady Queen of Peace Ranch. 21 people were injured; most of them were children.
On Wednesday morning, the CEO of the children’s camp said one child remained in hospital but was doing well and expected to make a full recovery.
There were 200 kids at the camp when the storm hit.
STORM DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES
Elsewhere in the city, power lines and trees were knocked down by high winds.
There’s still a chance of severe thunderstorms developing in the greater Edmonton area, along with several other parts of central and some parts of northeastern Alberta.
“Several scattered severe thunderstorms are tracking through the Capital Region tonight,” explains Global meteorologist Richard Ozero. “They are moving in an east, northeasterly direction at about 45 kilometres per hour. These thunderstorms have toppled trees with winds as strong as 100 kilometres per hour and dropped pea to golf ball sized hail in the city of Edmonton and surrounding communities.
The storms were triggered by a cold front, or the leading edge of a mass of cold air, colliding with the hot and humid air mass that was over top of us earlier today. Edmonton hit a high of 33.9 today, but, with the humidity factored in, it felt like +43 – the hottest humidex reading ever recorded in Edmonton.”
Because of the extreme heat, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) asked Albertans to voluntarily reduce their power use. EPCOR responded to the directive Tuesday afternoon by implementing rolling blackouts in Edmonton, which affected a number of major intersections throughout the city.
Motorists were told to treat each intersection as a four-way stop, but that didn’t stop traffic troubles from arising. You can see a bird’s eye view of some of the problems below:
A number of generators are out of service for planned and unplanned maintenance, and wind generation is very low, so the AESO is having to import electricity from B.C. and Saskatchewan to meet demand.
To help ease the stress on the electrical system you can: turn off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances, minimize the use of air conditioning, close your window coverings during the hottest part of the day, and wait until off-peak hours (after 7 p.m.) to use power-consuming appliances such as dishwashers, washers, and dryers.
STAYING SAFE IN HOT TEMPERATURES
In light of the heat wave, Edmonton Police were also reminding people not to leave children unattended in vehicles during these hot temperatures. However, despite the warning, a three-year-old girl died after being left in an unattended vehicle outside of a townhouse complex in northeast Edmonton on Tuesday.
You can check out these tips for information on how to keep your pets safe during extreme heat.
HEAT WAVE COMES TO AN END
Environment Canada defines a heat wave as three consecutive days of temperatures that are 30°C or higher. And it’s not just affecting northern Alberta. Southern Alberta is also scorching: Banff hit a high of 31.6°C on Monday, and is forecast for a high of 34°C on Tuesday. A cold front is supposed to push through the area on Wednesday, dropping temperatures down to a more seasonal 23°C. Though Lethbridge didn’t hit 30°C on Canada Day, they will feel the heat on Tuesday with a forecast high of 34°C. Calgary is also feeling the heat with highs of 33°C.
Global Edmonton meteorologist Nicola Crobie says the Edmonton area should be returning to normal temperatures on Wednesday.
“But the week ahead looks to be unstable. So stormy weather will be in the forecast most days.”
To get real-time weather for your area, download the Skytracker weather app.
With files from the Canadian Press and Nicole Mortillaro, Global News
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