Severe thunderstorm watch issued for Okanagan, Similkameen

Severe thunderstorms are potentially in Tuesday’s forecast for parts of the Okanagan and Similkameen.

Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch notice, warning of storms that could hit the ridgetops flanking the Okanagan Valley as well as Chilliwack Lake provincial park, Skagit Valley provincial park, and Manning Park.

“Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain,” reads the report.

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It’s been a mostly dry June for the Okanagan.

After the hottest month of May on record in the Okanagan, the month of June has provided a fraction of the normal amount of precipitation typically experienced in the valley.

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“We’ve seen 5.1 millimetres of precipitation. Normally we would see 45.9 mm, and that.s 11 per cent of the average,” Global Okanagan meteorologist Peter Quinlan said.

“So we’re already in a big deficit and this is coming off of a spring when we had less than half of the normal moisture we would typically see.”