Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued an orange severe thunderstorm watch for the northern half of southwestern Saskatchewan on Sunday evening.
The federal weather agency says conditions are favourable for dangerous thunderstorms capable of producing wind gusts up to 110 km/h, hail measuring three to four centimetres in diameter and heavy rainfall of up to 30 millimetres in localized areas.
The line of thunderstorms, currently over southern Alberta, is expected to move into western Saskatchewan later Sunday evening.
Damaging weather possible
“Utility outages are possible,” Environment Canada’s weather alert said. “Significant damage to property, buildings and trees is possible. When thunder roars, go indoors.”
Environment Canada also warned that heavy rain could cause localized flooding and reduced visibility, while strong winds may damage trees, buildings and vehicles.
Areas included in the watch
The watch covers a large portion of southwestern Saskatchewan north of the Trans-Canada Highway, with parts of the warned area extending south toward Highway 13.
Communities including Maple Creek, Shaunavon, Eastend and Ponteix are not included in the current watch.