Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch Monday for a large swath of Alberta including Red Deer and Mountain View counties and the urban centres near them.
“Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts and large hail,” the federal agency’s noon-hour weather update said for the affected areas. “Thunderstorms will develop this afternoon and continue through the evening.”
Included in the watch are:
• Mountain View County near Olds, Sundre, Didsbury, Carstairs, Cremona and Water Valley:
• Red Deer County near Penhold, Innisfail, Bowden, Lousana, Delburne, Pine Lake, Spruce View, Red Lodge Provincial Park and Sylvan Lake
• Rocky View County near Airdrie, Crossfield, Bottrel, Madden, Chestermere, Dalroy, Dalemead, Cochrane, Irricana, Beiseker and Kathyrn
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.
“Damage to roofs, fences, branches or soft shelters is possible,” the federal agency warned.
