Severe thunderstorm warnings, watches across region

The entirety of southern and central Alberta is under either a severe thunderstorm warning or watch on Thursday afternoon.

In our area, Environment Canada issued warnings for portions of the Medicine Hat-Bow Island-Suffield near CFB Suffield and Lethbridge-Milk River-Taber near Milk River, Coutts and Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park.

Severe thunderstorm warnings are issued when imminent or occurring thunderstorms are likely to produce or are producing one or more of the following: large hail, damaging winds, torrential rainfall. A severe thunderstorm capable of producing very strong wind gusts, up to nickel-size hail and heavy rain.

Watches have been issued for the Cypress Hills Provincial Park-Foremost and Brooks-Strathmore-Vulcan areas as of 4 p.m.