UPDATE: The severe thunderstorm watch that was issued on Friday morning, June 12, has been upgraded to a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of B.C.’s Southern Interior.
Just before 4 p.m., Environment Canada upgraded its weather alert, stating its meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm capable of producing very strong wind gusts, up to nickel-size hail and heavy rain.
The warning is in effect for the North Okanagan and Shuswap.
“Radar indicates a line of severe thunderstorms just 40 kilometres west of Vernon is moving eastward at a speed of 60 km/h per hour,” said the national weather agency just after 4 p.m. “The storm is moving across Highway 1 and 9 near Falkland.”
At 4:25 p.m., it said the line was 20 km west of Salmon Arm and was moving northeast at 60 km/h.
The severe thunderstorm warning included the Central Okanagan at one point, but was ended at 4:25 p.m., along with the South Thompson region.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Environment Canada issued another severe thunderstorm watch for the Okanagan on Friday morning.
The watch covers the entire valley, from south to north, plus the Shuswap, Similkameen, Boundary, Arrow Lakes and West Columbia regions.
Environment Canada said conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain.
“The risk of storms will continue into the early evening hours before diminishing with rain expected to continue into the weekend,” Global Okanagan’s meteorologist Peter Quinlan said.
A severe thunderstorm watch was also issued on Thursday producing late afternoon and early evening lightning and thunder.
Parts of the Okanagan also experienced a heavy rainstorm on Thursday evening.
Between Thursday morning and Friday morning, Vernon saw 12.3 millimetres of rain, Kelowna 10.4 millimetres and Penticton saw only 0.3 millimetres.
Environment Canada says severe thunderstorm watches are issued when atmospheric conditions are favourable for the development of thunderstorms that could produce one or more of the following: large hail, damaging winds, torrential rainfall.
Environment Canada predicts parts of the valley could receive another 10 millimetres of rain throughout the day Friday and a lot more by the end of the weekend.
“Rainfall totals by the end of the weekend could exceed 30 to 40 millimetres by Monday morning,” Quinlan said.
- RCMP arrests alleged hitmen accused of killing B.C. Sikh leader
- Fall COVID-19 vaccine guidelines are out. Here’s what NACI recommends
- Some 2019 candidates ‘appeared willing’ to engage with foreign interference: Hogue inquiry
- Thousands of Canada’s rail workers have a strike mandate. What happens now?
Comments