Thunderstorms with a tornado risk and baseball-sized hail target Alberta today
It’s shaping up to be a busy weather day for many parts of Alberta, with some areas at risk of seeing severe thunderstorms that could drop some large hail and a tornado.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), thunderstorm outlooks from the Storm Prediction Centre show large chunks of Alberta at risk of potentially seeing some severe thunderstorm activity today, July 4.
There is a high-risk zone for the province today, hugging central Alberta and crossing into Saskatchewan, with spots like Red Deer, Lloydminster, and a large chunk of the QEII under the gun. If you are travelling down to check out the Calgary Stampede, be sure to be weather aware this afternoon.
Weather risks in that area include wind gusts of up to 110 kilometres an hour, with thunderstorms that could bring hail up to six centimetres in size, the equivalent of a baseball. A tornado risk is also present, along with up to 50 millimetres of rain.
There is also a moderate weather risk for large populations, including in Edmonton and Calgary. Weather risks in that area include wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres an hour, with thunderstorms that could bring hail up to four centimetres in size, the equivalent of a golf ball. Around 30 millimetres of rain may also fall due to a storm.
ECCC Storm Prediction Centre
Elsewhere in the province, a risk of seeing wind gusts up to 70 kilometres an hour, hail up to one centimetre in size, and up to 20 millimetres of rain blankets many areas, including Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Hinton, Edson, High Level, Peace River, Banff, and Jasper.
You can check for any current weather watches and warnings on the ECCC website.