Spinning funnel cloud looms over Metro Vancouver during thunderstorm
A brief but dramatic weather event unfolded over parts of Metro Vancouver late Saturday afternoon and into the early evening.
Eastern areas of the region experienced lightning, intense pea-sized hail, and heavy rainfall, and a funnel cloud was also spotted swirling in the sky.
During the bout of unsettled weather, a rotating column of air resembling the early stages of a tornado appeared.
At 6:19 p.m., the federal meteorological agency Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the eastern areas of Metro Vancouver, including Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Surrey, and Langley.
There was a line of thunderstorms extending southwest to northeast from White Rock to Coquitlam and Maple Ridge. Environment Canada also confirmed that a funnel cloud had been spotted near the Cloverdale area in Surrey.
Video footage captured by Alberta-based storm watcher Darren Howard showed a rotating wall cloud in the vicinity of Cloverdale.
Cloverdale #bcstorm 6:13 timelapse pic.twitter.com/9GAQA9nMw4
— Darren Howard (@lightningmanAB) May 18, 2025
Storm west of Cloverdale. #bcstorm some rotation in wall cloud. 6:07pm looking WSW from Cloverdale. pic.twitter.com/a03eN8Zlop
— Darren Howard (@lightningmanAB) May 18, 2025
This is some crazy energy for a Vancouver thunderstorm wow! Lightning every minute, intense hail, crazy rainfall ⛈️ #bcstorm #bcwx #weather pic.twitter.com/TjOFLdckfd
— Justin Long (@JustnGeographic) May 17, 2025
Better believe I’m all over this one. Seen some awesome Cloud to Ground bolts. Wind had picked up and hail beginning to fall. 410pm. Coquitlam, BC. #bcstorm pic.twitter.com/HSArNGNv63
— Brad604 (@Brad604) May 17, 2025
Severe Thundrstorm with lighting hail and pouring rain over Langley surrey maple ridge area. Rare event for the region. #bcstorm pic.twitter.com/W6fNPLWTKZ
— WestCoastWX22 (@ElijahBman) May 18, 2025