Vancouver experienced its biggest lightning storm in two years late Thursday, with 139 strikes recorded over two-and-a-half hours. While the event caused localized property damage, including a tree fire in North Vancouver, severe thunderstorm watches shifted to Vancouver Island on Friday as low-pressure systems moved across the region.
Lightning Activity in Vancouver
The storm that swept through Vancouver late Thursday night stands as the region’s biggest lightning storm in two years. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, 139 lightning strikes were detected between approximately 9 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Meteorologist Jenn Cowall characterized the event as one of the biggest lightning storms of the past decade.
Jocelyn Kennedy, a North Vancouver resident, witnessed a lightning strike ignite a tree in Princess Park. It carried down the tree, but we never saw flames afterwards and there was never any response, so I think we still had enough moisture to prevent any fires luckily,
Kennedy said. She noted that the experience made her realize how quickly fires could ignite in residential areas if conditions were drier.
Emergency Response During the Storm
In Lynn Valley, a fire broke out at a home on Dovercourt Road, though officials have not confirmed a link to the lightning strikes. CTVNews CTVNews of the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services stated, Our fire crews were really busy there were multiple calls happening at the same time.
Despite the volume of incidents, no major damage or injuries were reported following the storm.
Severe Weather Watches on Vancouver Island
As the system moved away from the mainland, Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch for most of Vancouver Island on Friday morning. The alert covered North, West, Inland, and East Vancouver Island, specifically impacting communities such as Woss, Zeballos, and Gold River, as well as segments of Highway 19 and Highway 28.
The weather office warned that slow-moving thunderstorms could produce heavy rain, leading to potential flash flooding and reduced visibility. Meteorologist Jennifer Kowal explained that the instability was driven by a low-pressure system centering over the island. While a brief severe thunderstorm warning
was issued for the Courtenay area earlier that morning, it was downgraded to a watch by 8:35 a.m. During that brief window, one resident reported a fire after lightning struck the roof of his home.
Safety Protocols and Thresholds for Alerts
Environment Canada maintains strict criteria for issuing severe thunderstorm alerts. According to Kowal, meteorologists look for the possibility of 25 millimetres of rain, up to two centimetres of hail, or 90 kilometre wind gusts. If a storm meets even one of these thresholds, it is considered severe.
When thunder roars, go indoors!
the agency advised. Kowal suggested that residents should remain inside for at least 30 minutes following the final sound of thunder or flash of lightning. Just because it’s ended it does not mean that it’s not still possible in the area that you’re in, so you do want to leave a bit of a buffer for when you go back outside,
she said.
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