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Environment Canada Warning: Severe Thunderstorms For Montreal And Surrounding Areas
As we mentioned earlier this week, the heat was bound to lead to thunderstorms, and today the Government of Canada has put most of Southern Quebec on a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.
The government notes that current weather conditions in Montreal and the surrounding areas "will be favourable for the development of thunderstorms capable of producing very strong wind gusts and heavy downpours."
While my tomatoes are going to be happy, this could mean bad news for us, particularly if this "Watch" elevates to a "Warning" as storm conditions worsen.
The radar image below, provided by The Weather Network, shows the expected rainfall for the Montreal area around 9:30 AM. Based on their legend, the most severe rain is in the yellow, orange and red zones.
[rebelmouse-image 26891002 photo_credit="The Weather Network" expand=1 original_size="448x276"] The Weather Network
However, this morning may very well be just a pre-storm, as the radar below shows Montreal around 2PM and that storm that is lingering over Ottawa is definitely headed our way.
[rebelmouse-image 26891003 photo_credit="The Weather Network" expand=1 original_size="546x241"] The Weather Network
In fact, the Government of Canada does make a point in their Weather Watch to note that the thunderstorm is expected to hit this afternoon or early evening.
Below is an hourly forecast for Montreal between 3PM and 8PM, where the probability of precipitation (POP) is up to 80% and temperatures are still lingering near 40°C.
[rebelmouse-image 26891004 photo_credit="The Weather Network" expand=1 original_size="880x593"] The Weather Network
These are the favourable conditions mentioned in the Weather Watch alert. The worry is that this storm will cause damage due to strong winds that can impact buildings and bring down trees.
The post also makes a point of reminding residents in the area that severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes, heavy downpours can cause flash floods and lightning does manage to kill or injure Canadians every year.
The Government of Canada issues a Severe Thunderstorm Watch when conditions are favourable an above-average storm that could produce large hail, damaging winds or torrential rainfall.
You can monitor the status of t his storm on the Government of Canada's Weather Warnings page or track the storm online with the hashtag #QCStorm.
We will update you if this Storm Watch moves to a Warning issued by the government.