Storm of summertime intensity

Summer-like conditions extended from the day into the evening Tuesday when record warm temperatures were followed by an intense nighttime lightning storm.

Approximately 100 lightning strikes were recorded across the B.C. Southern Interior and winds topped 60 km/hr in many locations, Environment Canada says. But no significant wildfires were sparked by the storm as the snowmelt at higher elevations is yet to begin in earnest.

“It’s definitely unusual to see so much lightning at this time of year,” Gary Dickinson, an Environment Canada meteorologist said in an interview.

“These nocturnal types of storms, they’re more of something that would happen in the summer.”

A record high for April 3 was set Tuesday in the Okanagan, with Kelowna reaching 21.1 C and Penticton getting to 22.1 C. Temperatures were 10 degrees warmer than usual for early April.

Later Tuesday evening, a cold front moved into the Valley from the west, with the two weather systems colliding in spectacular fashion.

“With daytime high temperatures flirting with in and around the low 20s, and then this cold front moving through, it made for a big change in the weather,” Dickinson said.

“The temperature drop, and the lift in the air, creates the conditions for a lot of lightning and gusty winds.”

At one point, lightning was visible almost every minute. Most of it was occurring between clouds, as the lightning detection system used by Environment Canada counts only those strikes that reach the ground, Dickinson noted.

A toppled tree blocked Westside Road north of West Kelowna but the route was cleared and open to traffic by 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Only one wildfire was reported to be burning in the Kamloops Fire Centre, which encompasses the Okanagan, as of Wednesday morning. That was a small fire, of less than a hectare, about 25 km west of Merritt.

Today’s high is forecast to be about 8 C in the Okanagan, with temperatures rising to 12 C on Friday and 15 C with sunny skies for both Saturday and Sunday.