Alberta: Thunderstorm Forecast for Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Pop-up thunderstorms are expected during the afternoon and evening on Wednesday across Alberta. Parts of Central Alberta including Olds, Red Deer, Leduc and Edmonton have the potential to see an isolated severe storm with up to 2.5cm hail and 90km/h wind gusts.

While tornadoes aren’t expected, these storms do have the potential to produce funnel clouds and perhaps even a landspout.

Landspout: A landspout is a type of tornado that forms under a weak thunderstorm. Unlike traditional tornadoes, which develop from supercell thunderstorms and are associated with a rotating updraft called a mesocyclone, landspouts form from non-supercell storms and do not have a mesocyclone. These tornadoes are generally weaker and shorter-lived than their supercell counterparts but can still pose a threat to property and life, with wind speeds occasionally reaching up to 160 km/h.