Severe thunderstorm watch issued for Okanagan, Shuswap

A large swath of the Southern Interior has been put on a severe thunderstorm watch.

The greater Vernon and Kelowna areas, as well as the Shuswap, Fraser Canyon and South Thompson regions, are currently potentially in the line of storms, Environment Canada said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon.

1:50 Chance of drought looms with rainfall well below average in parts of B.C.

If they materialize, these storms “may be capable of producing strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain.”

Intense lightning is likely with any thunderstorm that develops. Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads.

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Rain is sorely needed in the Okanagan, despite a Monday rainfall that brought Kelowna 4.4 millimetres of rain, Vernon around 3.8 mm and Penticton 0.4 mm.

The Central Okanagan is coming off of the second driest June ever recorded with just 5.1 millimetres of moisture accumulated.

The entire Okanagan was just moved to a Drought Level 3 or “severely dry.”

3:37 Global Okanagan Weather: July 12, 2023