Virtually all of southern Manitoba, from the Lake Winnipegosis area in the northwest to Steinbach in the southeast, is under watches or warnings for severe thunderstorms that could roll through Friday night.
The province’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre is warning Manitobans to take precautions and be ready for wet weather, as parts of the province could get between 20 and 40 millimetres of precipitation in the next three days, a Friday news release said.
The heaviest precipitation is likely to fall in parts of southwest Manitoba, the Interlake region and northern Manitoba, where thunderstorms could bring heavy rain in short period, potentially leading to high surface runoff and overland flooding, the province said.
As of just before 7 p.m. Friday, an area just west and southwest of Lake Manitoba was under a severe thunderstorm warning from Envrionment Canada, including:
- Municipality of North Norfolk, including MacGregor, Sidney and Austin.
- Municipality of Glenella-Lansdowne, including Arden and Tenby.
- Municipality of Ste. Rose, including Laurier.
- Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone, including Plumas and Langruth.
These areas were under a severe thunderstorm watch:
- City of Winnipeg.
- Brandon, Neepawa, Carberry, Treherne.
- Dauphin, Russell, Roblin, Winnipegosis.
- Dugald, Beausejour, Grand Beach.
- Killarney, Pilot Mound, Manitou.
- Melita, Boissevain, Turtle Mountain Provincial Park.
- Minnedosa, Riding Mountain National Park.
- Morden, Winkler, Altona, Morris.
- Portage la Prairie, Headingley, Brunkild, Carman.
- Selkirk, Gimli, Stonewall, Woodlands.
- Ste. Rose, McCreary, Alonsa, Gladstone.
- Steinbach, St. Adolphe, Emerson, Vita, Richer.
- Swan River, Duck Mountain, Porcupine Provincial Forest.
- Virden, Souris.
Environment Canada said conditions are favourable for severe thunderstorms that could bring strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain, with the possibility of an isolated tornado.
The thunderstorms are expected to push east through Friday evening.
The province also warns visibility may be suddenly reduced in heavy precipitation and roads may be slippery. It encourages anyone with travel plans over the long weekend to watch the weather and adjust driving habits for road conditions, travelling only when necessary or waiting until road conditions are safe to do so.
The province also says that since power outages can occur during severe storms, Manitobans are encouraged to prepare basic emergency kits with drinking water, food, medicine, a first-aid kit and a flashlight.