UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm warning for North Okanagan and Shuswap

Much of the B.C. Interior appears to be in the path of spring storms threatening to bring thunder, lightning and strong winds.

It prompted Environment Canada to upgrade a severe thunderstorm watch this morning to a formal warning for the North Okanagan, and Shuswap regions this afternoon. An earlier severe thunderstorm watch for the Central Okanagan and South Thompson has since ended.

The severe thunderstorm warning was issued around 3:45 p.m. today, June 12 and initially included much of the B.C. Interior.

Environment Canada is tracking a severe thunderstorm capable of producing strong winds gusts, nickel sized hail and heavy rain.

The weather agency reported a line of severe thunderstorms just 40 km west of Vernon, moving east at approximately 55 km per hour this afternoon, just before 4 p.m. this afternoon.

That line of thunderstorms is now reported to be 20 km west of Salmon Arm, moving northeastward at 60 kilometres per hour.

A severe thunderstorm watch was issued this morning.

More details on this afternoon’s alert are available here.

The latest status and details on all alerts, including alerts that are not part of this region, can be found at this website.

– This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 12 to add further information from Environment Canada regarding the state of severe weather activity in the Okanagan.

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