Thursday afternoon and evening thunderstorm risk in the Maritimes

Periods of heavy rain moving through the Maritimes Meteorologist Kalin Mitchell has details on showers, downpours and thunderstorms as a cold front moves through the Maritimes Thursday.

A cold front moving in from the west has triggered rounds of downpours and thunderstorms in the Maritimes Thursday. The weather has been accompanied by watches and warnings by Environment Canada.

Some of the downpours and thunderstorms have produced rainfall rates of between 15 and 35 mm/hr. That increases the risk of hazards such as reduced visibility, hydroplaning conditions, and flash flooding. They have so far not shown the repetitive nature that produced the extreme flooding event in the Annapolis Valley last week.

The situation with thunderstorms can change quickly. Have a way to monitor for further watches or warnings issued by Environment Canada.

Late Thursday afternoon (3 p.m. onward) and evening will see the highest chance of further thunderstorms or downpours in central/eastern Nova Scotia. There is a lower chance of more isolated thunderstorms in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Inclement weather clears

By mid-to-late evening, the front will clear New Brunswick. Near and after midnight, it clears P.E.I. and mainland Nova Scotia. The front will clear Cape Breton Friday morning. As the front clears, the chance of further showers or thunderstorms ends.

Humidity falls, still plenty warm for July

The front will have the added benefit of lowering overall humidity levels in the Maritimes.

For both Friday and the upcoming weekend, dew point temperatures are expected to be around the low-to-mid teens which is generally more comfortable than the high-teens and low-20s we’ve had much of this week. Those higher dew points contribute to the air, having a more stifling feel to it.

While the humidex may fall, daytime high temperatures remain warm by July standards. High temperatures for most of Friday and the weekend are expected to range 24 to 28 C. More comfortable sleeping temperatures at night are expected with lows of 10 to 16 C.