A series of weather alerts from Environment Canada are keeping residents of southern Manitoba on high alert Monday evening, as severe thunderstorms swept across the region and tornado warnings were issued, lifted, and reissued.
Find the latest watches and warnings on our weather page
By 6:58 p.m. CDT, a tornado warning was in place for the R.M. of Macdonald, including Brunkild, Starbuck and La Salle, and the R.M. of Morris, including Rosenort and Aubigny.
Meteorologists were tracking a severe thunderstorm possibly producing a tornado. The storm was also capable of bringing damaging wind gusts, large hail, and intense rainfall.
"This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation," the agency warned, urging residents to seek shelter immediately in a secure location, preferably on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.
This tornado alert followed several earlier advisories throughout the afternoon. A severe thunderstorm watch was issued at 4:20 p.m. for regions stretching from the Interlake to the Red River Valley, due to a trough of low pressure triggering isolated but powerful storms.
At 6:45 p.m., a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for a storm over Osborne, which was moving southeast at 25 km/h and producing wind gusts up to 110 km/h, hail up to three centimetres in diameter, and 50 to 75 millimetres of rain.
Shortly after, that warning was upgraded to a tornado warning based on radar and storm development, highlighting the volatile nature of the system.
Communities impacted over the course of the evening included Niverville, Ste. Agathe, Aubigny, Domain, McTavish, Osborne, Rosenort, and La Salle.
Environment Canada emphasized that conditions were evolving rapidly and storms remained capable of producing tornadoes with little notice. The agency's guidance remained clear throughout: if threatening weather approaches, take immediate shelter.
Residents are advised to continue monitoring weather alerts and be prepared to act quickly.