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Funnel cloud advisory issued for Calgary

A funnel cloud is spotted over the south Calgary neighbourhood of Heritage Pointe on Thursday, July 28, 2016. Environment Canada said conditions will be favourable for the development of funnel clouds on Thursday, May 11, 2023. COURTESY: Kip Reghenas

Environment Canada said conditions will be favourable for the development of funnel clouds on Thursday.

According to a 12:01 p.m. advisory, funnel clouds are generated by weak rotations under rapidly growing clouds or weak thunderstorms. This weak rotation is not a danger near the ground, but there is a chance that it could intensify and become a weak landspout tornado.

“Thursday’s weather conditions will be very similar to what we’ve had over the past few days with much of the province seeing some instability which is causing scattered showers and isolated, weak thunderstorms,” said Global Calgary’s chief meteorologist Tiffany Lizee.

“We usually see cold-core funnels in the springtime because air aloft is still cool but the sun is powerful enough to heat up surface temperatures — this causes convection and ideal conditions for cold-core funnels. These types of funnels are relatively harmless but there is a risk they could reach the surface and become weak landspout tornadoes.”

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Environment Canada said conditions will be favourable for the development of funnel clouds on Thursday. Tiffany Lizee/Global News
Environment Canada said conditions will be favourable for the development of funnel clouds on Thursday. Tiffany Lizee/Global News

This comes after the federal environment agency issued a special weather statement for Calgary at 9:09 a.m., warning residents of unseasonably hot and dry conditions this weekend. The highest temperatures are expected from Sunday through Tuesday, with daytime highs expected to be in the high 20s to low 30s.

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The daytime highs will be 10 to 15 degrees above seasonal values, according to Environment Canada.

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