UPDATE: Severe thunderstorms forecast for Kamloops, Okanagan

The conditions are just right for the severe thunderstorms in the South Thompson, Nicola, Shuswap, Okanagan and Boundary regions. Environment Canada has extended a severe thunderstorm watch today, Aug. 9, and it now includes Kamloops, Merritt, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton. The weather office says conditions are favourable for the development of dangerous thunderstorms capable of producing lightning, damaging wind gusts and torrential rain. The very strong winds forecast could damage buildings, bring down trees and even blow vehicles off the road. Flash floods and water pooling on roads is a direct impact from torrential downpours. “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,” the severe thunderstorm watch reads. For the latest on weather watches and warnings go to Environment Canada’s website here. https://weather.gc.ca/index_e.html?layers=alert For up-to-date information on highway conditions check out DriveBC here. http://www.drivebc.ca To contact a reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander mailto:halexander@infonews.ca  or call 250-309-5343 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tip@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .