MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch for a swath of central and southern Alberta Friday including for Mountain View County and urban centres near it.
“Conditions are favourable over southern Alberta for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy downpours,” the federal agency’s 11:11 a.m. weather alert update said. “Thunderstorms will form this afternoon and early this evening and move generally eastward.”
The watch was issued for 19 municipalities, special areas and reserves including:
• Mountain View County near Sundre, Cremona, Water Valley, Carstairs, Didsbury and Olds
• Rocky View County near Airdrie, Crossfield, Bottrel, Madden, Bragg Creek, Tsuu T’ina, Cochrane, Irricana, Beiseker, Kathyrn, Chestermere, Dalroy and Dalmead
• Kneehill County near Torrington, Wimborne, Three Hills, Carbon, Acme, Linden, Trochu and Huxley.
Watches are 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 or greater, which could cause structural wind damage;
• hail of 2.5 centimetres or larger in diameter; or
• heavy rainfall.
