Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Red Deer and Mountain View counties as well as nearby urban centres Wednesday morning.
“Severe thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon and will move to the east into the evening,” the federal agency’s 11:21 a.m. Aug. 20 weather alert for the area said. “These severe thunderstorms will be capable of producing damaging hail, strong wind gust and heavy rain.”
A watch is issued when conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms with one or more of the following conditions:
• Wind gusts of 90 kilometres an hour (km/h) or greater, which could cause structural wind damage;
• Hail of 2.5 centimetres (cm) or larger in diameter; or
• Heavy rainfall
Locations included in the severe thunderstorm watch are:
• Mountain View County near Sundre, Carstairs, Cremona, Water Valley, Didsbury and Olds.
• Red Deer County near Innisfail, Penhold, Bowden, Elnora, Lousana, Delburne, Pine Lake Spruce View, Red Lodge Provincial Park and Sylvan Lake.
• Parts of Rocky View, Clearwater and Kneehill counties.
