Environment Canada has issued severe thunderstorm watches for several regions in southern Quebec. Conditions are conducive to the formation of severe thunderstorms that could produce strong gusts and large hail, according to what the federal agency published Thursday just before noon.
“We are talking about the possibility of gusts between 70 and 90 km/h, hail that could reach 2 cm and rain that could accumulate 30 to 50 millimetres of water in less than an hour,” summarized Environment Canada meteorologist Alain Roberge.
“Heavy rains could locally cause flash flooding and may affect structures, roads and buildings already weakened by the events of the past week,” the federal agency said.
The areas targeted by these notices extend from Saint-Jérôme in the Laurentians in the west to Saint-Georges in Beauce in the east, and from the border with the United States in the south to Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, in the Capitale-Nationale in the north.
Environment Canada will be particularly monitoring “areas that received a lot of water last week and therefore have increased vulnerability” such as “the Montreal region, the South Shore, the Laurentians and Mauricie,” says meteorologist Alain Roberge.
What is the difference between a watch and a warning? A severe thunderstorm watch is issued to advise citizens to be prepared, as conditions are favorable for the formation of the weather phenomenon. The watch precedes the warning, which is issued when severe thunderstorms are imminent or occurring.
Debby flooded 2,300 homes
Rainfall caused by tropical storm Debby Last week, rainfall reached 200 millimeters in 24 hours in some places.
The passage of Debby flooded some 2,300 homes and forced the evacuation of 464 people. Public infrastructure was also damaged.
As of Tuesday, no fewer than 700 people have claimed damage to their property since the storm.