A lightning bolt strikes Osoyoos Lake. (Greg Reely file photo)
What started out as one of the best weather days of the summer in Osoyoos and the South Okanagan is supposed to change dramatically in the coming hours.
Environment Canada has issued a special storm weather alert for the North and Central Okanagan Valley and surrounding areas.
Meteorologists with Environment Canada have issued a release stating that a strong upper low, which is currently northwest of Vancouver Island, will be moving into the Southern Interior this afternoon and will slowly drift eastward tonight and Friday.
“As the atmosphere becomes unstable later today, parts of the southern B.C. Interior are likely to receive heavy showers and embedded thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight,” writes Environment Canada. “Due to the convective nature of these showers, rainfall will be highly variable across these regions.”
The forecast for the next 36 hours says some areas of the Southern Interior will be deluged with rainfall amounts of up to 20 millimetres over a very short period of time.
“Tonight, as the low continues eastwards, the Kootenays will be in the crosshairs of the heavy rain threat. Elsewhere across B.C today and tonight, scattered showers and isolated thundershowers are possible, but most of the South Coast will be dry,” adds Environment Canada.
By Friday afternoon, the heavy showers will have moved on towards southern Alberta, says Environment Canada.
“There’s no hope for summer to magically appear on the forecast charts for the weekend,” reads a report by Environment Canada.
The extended forecast by Environment Canada calls for a few showers with thunderstorms ending after midnight, then cloudy skies. The wind will be moving from the north.
The forecast for Friday is cloudy with a 40 per cent chance of showers in the afternoon with a daytime high of 22 and showers overnight with a low of 15.
The forecast for Saturday is cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of showers and daytime high of 25.
The forecast for Sunday is a mix of sun and cloud and daytime high of 26 with cloudy periods overnight and 30 per cent chance of showers.
The nice summer weather should return Monday with the forecast calling for sunny skies and daytime high of 31.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
