Hail and rain hit Calgary, severe thunderstorm warning issued for parts of southern Alberta

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‘Unstable atmosphere’Calgary Airport damaged “Mother Nature Calling”

Heavy hail and rain hit Calgary and other parts of Alberta Monday night, with parts of the province still under a severe thunderstorm warning.

Environment Canada Meteorologists have been tracking a “very dangerous thunderstorm” that could unleash baseball-sized hail, strong winds and heavy rain.

As of shortly after 9 p.m., the agency said the thunderstorms were located in Cheadle and Strathmore, Alta., and moving east at 50 km/h.

one Alberta Emergency Alert It was also originally issued at 7:57 p.m. Monday, warning of heavy rain and baseball-sized hail in parts of southern Alberta.

In both images, both cars had cracked or smashed windows. — Car windows were smashed in the Country Hills community after hail pounded parts of northwest Calgary. (Chas Young, James Young/CBC)

An update at 8:58 p.m. said “extreme caution and attention” should be exercised. The emergency alert applies to the following areas:

Foothills County near Blackie.
Located in Vulcan County near Arrowwood, Herronton and Queenstown.
Vulcan County, near Vulcan and Ensign.

Environment Canada said “this is a dangerous situation that could be life-threatening.” website.

“Extra large hail can break windows, damage property and vehicles, and cause life-threatening injuries. Strong winds can dislodge loose objects, damage fragile structures, break tree branches, and overturn large vehicles.”

The agency advises people to seek shelter in case of hazardous weather.

‘Unstable atmosphere’

Heather Pimiskern, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said atmospheric conditions in the region are perfect for a severe storm to form.

“There’s an atmosphere of uncertainty across southern Alberta tonight,” Pimiskeen told CBC News on Monday evening.

She said the storm is east of Calgary and is moving east. It is expected to reach the Saskatchewan border and continue moving east.

In the photo, the lawn is covered with hail and broken branches. — A lawn northwest of Calgary was covered in hail Monday evening after an Alberta emergency alert was issued warning of severe thunderstorms and large hail. (Josh Page/CBC)

Calgary was initially under an emergency alert and is currently under a severe thunderstorm warning as of around 11 p.m. Monday, according to the Environment Canada website.

Pimiskeen said the largest hail the agency has reported from Calgary was about 4.5 centimetres in diameter, about the size of a golf ball.

Calgary Airport damaged

A spokesperson for the Calgary Airport Authority confirmed in an emailed statement to CBC News on Monday evening that the domestic terminal at YYC Calgary International Airport has been closed. Damage due to hail and heavy rain.

“We are prioritizing the safety of all our guests and employees and cleaning up the impacted area. We are currently assessing the damage and its impact on operations,” the statement read, adding that no injuries have been reported.

There was water on the floor. Buckets and signs were placed around the puddle. — Gate B is closed at the Calgary International Airport terminal due to storm damage. (Paula Duhatschek/CBC)

The spokesperson also said that due to the damage, the airport expects delays to inbound and outbound flights and advises passengers to contact their airline to confirm the status of their flight.

“Mother Nature Calling”

Passenger Jodie Russett said she saw part of the airport’s ceiling fall off during the storm.

Lasseter, who was traveling from Toronto to Kelowna, British Columbia, via Calgary, told CBC News she had to decide whether to stay overnight at the airport (waiting for her delayed flight to take off) or go to a hotel in Calgary until the morning.

“What can we do? This isn’t anyone’s fault, right?”

Lasseter wasn’t the only one stuck at the Calgary airport. Passenger Emmanuel Ebere was also stranded at the Calgary airport on Monday night.

“We don’t know when we’ll take off, or if we’ll take off tonight,” Eberle said.

“It’s nobody’s fault. Mother Nature strikes and I guess we just have to adapt to the situation and stay calm… I guess we’ll just let it take its course.”