Alberta’s gloomy weather continues this weekend, with Environment Canada issuing severe thunderstorm warnings for the Fort McMurray, Fort Chipewyan and Fort Saskatchewan regions.
Severe thunderstorm warnings are issued when storms could produce severe wind, rain or hail. (Environment Canada)
Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking thunderstorms north of Fort McMurray, according to the warnings, which were issued after 4 p.m. on Saturday.
The storms are moving north at about 40 kilometres per hour, and could produce strong wind gusts, heavy rain and pea to dime-size hail in the Fort McMurray and Fort Chipewyan areas.
The Fort Saskatchewan region could see very strong wind gusts, heavy rain and toonie-size hail caused by a thunderstorm east of Elk Island. The storm is moving east at about 30 kilometres an hour, Environment Canada says.
Severe thunderstorm warnings are issued when storms are capable of producing large hail, damaging wind or torrential rainfall.
The Wabasca region is also under a severe thunderstorm watch, as conditions are favourable for the development of storms there.
Earlier Saturday, rainfall warnings were in effect for Grande Prairie, Beaverlodge, Valleyview, Hinton, Grande Cache, Peace River, Fairview, High Prairie and Manning.