THUNDER BAY – Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for a large swath of Northwestern Ontario, with the possibility of wind gusts near 100 km/h and hail.
Portions of the region from Sandy Lake south to the Minnesota border, and east to Lake Nipigon could see strong wind gusts, nickel- to ping pong ball-sized hail, and heavy rain late Sunday afternoon and into the evening, the agency warned.
Tornado watches were also issued for the Pickle Lake - Cat Lake and Fort Hope - Lansdowne House - Ogoki areas.
There were no weather alerts active for the City of Thunder Bay early Sunday afternoon.
The thunderstorm watch was also not issued for the Kakabeka Falls - Whitefish Lake - Arrow Lake area, though it remained under a heat warning.
Most of the surrounding areas can expect thunderstorms to develop along a cold front moving in from Manitoba in the afternoon.
Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off of trees, and overturn large vehicles, Environment Canada warned, recommending residents take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches.
Alerts and forecasts for the region can be found at the agency’s website.
