UPDATE: Environment Canada has upgraded the severe thunderstorm watch to a warning for some parts of the region. They include the County of Grande Prairie near Grande Prairie, Wembley, Sexsmith, La Glace, Beaverlodge, Hythe, and Demmitt.
Meteorologists are reportedly tracking a cluster of severe thunderstorms capable of producing quarter-sized hail and damaging winds more than 90 kilometres an hour. Doppler RADAR showed the cluster in the region around Beaverlodge around 2 p.m. moving east at 40 kilometres an hour.
Quarter-sized hail was reported in Beaverlodge.
Environment Canada has issued another severe thunderstorm watch for the Grande Prairie – Beaverlodge – Valleyview region. It says conditions are favourable for the development of dangerous thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts, damaging hail and heavy rain.
Thunderstorms are expected to develop along the foothills this afternoon. They should then head east and continue through the night. Some of these storms will reportedly be severe.
“Very large hail can damage property, break windows, dent vehicles and cause serious injury,” Environment Canada says. “Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees and overturn large vehicles.”
It also warns people to watch for flash floods and water pooling on roads.