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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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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