Severe thunderstorm watch in effect for B.C. Interior
![Thunderstorm watch A screenshot from Environment Canada's website shows where a severe thunderstorm watch is in effect in B.C. on June 30, 2024.](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/6/30/thunderstorm-watch-1-6947043-1719780316326.png)
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect Sunday for a swath of the B.C. Interior, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The warning covers the Okanagan, including the cities of Penticton, Vernon and Kelowna. It is also in place for the Boundary, Nicola and South Thompson areas, including Merritt and Kamloops.
“Severe thunderstorm watches are issued when atmospheric conditions are favourable for the development of thunderstorms that could produce one or more of the following: large hail, damaging winds, torrential rainfall,” according to the federal agency.
Drivers are being reminded to brace for the potential of pooling water and flash floods and everyone is being reminded to take cover if “threatening weather approaches,” with ECCC noting that “lightning kills and injures Canadians every year.”
There are no campfire bans in effect and the BC Wildfire Service notes parts the province have seen a recent transition to wetter, cooler weather. However, thunderstorms do bring the possibility of lightning strikes, which can spark fires – particularly in dry conditions – and recent precipitation “will not extinguish active wildfires.”
A bulletin from the Ministry of Emergency Management, issued before the Canada Day weekend, also noted that the risk of wildfires remains and that “conditions can change quickly.” Travellers and people heading outdoors should be careful with campfires, avoiding them when it’s too windy and making sure they are fully extinguished before leaving them unattended.
In addition, the ministry asked anyone who spots a violation of an open burning prohibition, an unattended campfire or other dangerous activity to call the BC Wildfire Service at 1 800 663-5555 or *5555 on a cellphone.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6947854.1719917767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
Hurricane Beryl rips through open waters after devastating the southeast Caribbean
Hurricane Beryl roared through open waters on Tuesday as a monstrous Category 5 storm on a path that would take it near Jamaica and the Cayman Islands after earlier making landfall in the southeast Caribbean, killing at least four people.
TTC lacked proper measures to prevent 2021 cyberattack despite internal warning years earlier: reports
A report by the provincial privacy watchdog has found that Toronto’s public transit system was not prepared for the cyberattack that knocked down some of its communication systems and compromised the private information of more than 25,000 employees in 2021 -- despite an internal warning from the commission's security department issued years prior.
A bride released butterflies in honour of her late father. Instead of flying away, they stuck by her side
In a moment that brought some to tears, a U.S. bride released more than a dozen butterflies in honour of her late father. Here’s what they did instead of flying away.
Did WestJet cancel your flight? Here's what experts say you should do
WestJet cancelled more than 800 flights between June 27 and July 2, affecting tens of thousands of passengers. Here are the kinds of compensation experts say passengers affected by the cancellations may be entitled to, and how to go about advocating for it.
Altercation between 'numerous' golfers on B.C. course broken up by RCMP
Authorities were called to break up an altercation involving "numerous" golfers in Burnaby, B.C., over the weekend – apparently prompted by some serious breaches in etiquette.
'I would call this the silent eating disorder': What experts want you to know about ARFID
Unlike eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia nervosa, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, or ARFID, isn’t concerned with body shape or size. People with ARFID are very limited in the foods they feel safe and comfortable eating
How to find -- and use -- a budgeting app that works best for you
Experts say people often find it challenging to record expenses on a day-to-day basis, but an app can do that heavy lifting for them.
What a family lawyer says you should know before getting married
Barry Nussbaum, a Toronto-based family lawyer who has counselled countless couples, offers advice about the details you don't want to overlook before getting married.
DEVELOPING A stampede at a religious event in India has killed at least 105 people, many women and children
A stampede among thousands of people at a religious gathering in northern India has killed at least 105 and left scores injured, officials said Tuesday, with many women and children among the dead.