Lightning strikes above Saskatoon Wednesday evening. (Photo courtesy: Stephen Abadeere)

By paNOW Staff

Summer storms

Severe thunderstorms tracking east through central Sask

Aug 20, 2025 | 10:04 PM

Several tornado alerts were being issued Wednesday night as severe thunderstorms track their way eastward through the province.

Environment Canada warned the storms are capable of producing a tornado. Locally intense rainfall, ping pong to golf ball sized hail, and winds gusting up to 100 km/h are also possible.

The tornado alerts initially began shortly after 7 p.m. in the Battlefords area, and then Hafford, but they were both cancelled within an hour. Alerts were also cancelled for Martensville, Warman and Rosthern around 9:23 p.m. Wednesday; however they remained in place for Wakaw. Meteorologists said the storm was over Cudworth around 9:45 p.m. and was moving east at 30 km/h.

The brown dots indicate lightning strikes over the Saskatoon and Cudworth areas as of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. (Screenshot/weather.gc.ca)

A weather advisory was also issued for heavy rainfall in northern Saskatchewan. The weather service said totals of 40 to 60 mm were possible by Friday morning.

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“Showers and thunderstorms this evening will become steady rain by Thursday morning. Rainfall will taper off from west to east on Friday morning,” the alert read.

The affected areas include Candle Lake and Narrow Hills provincial parks, Cumberland House, Creighton, Pelican Narrows and Sandy Bay, Pinehouse and the Lac La Ronge area, Southend and Brabant Lake. The majority of these areas saw extreme wildfire behavior this summer. While the rain will be welcomed, the storms rolling through are also bringing tons of lightning and the possibility of more wildfires being ignited.

Environment Canada said the severe thunderstorms that intially developed over portions of southern Saskatchewan were due to a low over Montana bringing moisture and heat into the province.

The weather watches and warnings covered the majority of the province from the southern border to Southend in northern Saskatchewan.

You can track weather alerts here.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com