Severe thunderstorms, heat warnings forecast for Saskatchewan

A band of strong thunderstorms has formed over south central Saskatchewan this morning and is moving northeast, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said on Sunday.

The thunderstorm activity will weaken before more thunderstorms will develop in the southwest this afternoon, the weather agency said.

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Weather alert map for Saskatchewan for Aug. 22, 2026. Heat warnings are in yellow, thunderstorm watch alerts are shown in pale yellow (Environment Canada website)

A number of alerts and warnings were issued for the province on Sunday morning, with ECCC warning of temperatures reaching 29 C today in west central and northern areas, adding that overnight temperatures should return to seasonal on Sunday night.

People in the areas affected by heat warnings — including Green Lake, Cutknife, Loon Lake, Manitou Lake, Meadow Lake, Medstead, and The Battlefords as well as a number of RMs — should check on older adults, those living alone and other at-risk people in-person or on the phone multiple times a day during the heat event, ECCC advised.

People should also look for the early signs of heat exhaustion, which may include headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, dark urine and intense fatigue and drink water often and before feeling thirsty.

Moose Jaw, Blackstrap Provincial Park and a number of RMs were listed as being under severe thunderstorm watches or warnings on Sunday morning, with ECCC saying conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts of 90 km/h , large hail up to the size of a toonie and heavy rain.

Environment Canada has launched a new, more targeted system of weather alerts that will allow their experts to draw shapes on a map.

Changes to the warning system were made to address “alert fatigue” and cut down on the number of weather alerts Canadians get on their phones.

The new system will target alerts specifically to the area forecasters think will be hit, rather than issue a broad warning across a large area.

“Alert fatigue is something that we know everyone has,” said Giselle Dookhie, a warning preparedness meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada.

“It’s not something we want the public (to take lightly) when they see a warning for a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning. We want them to know that it’s likely to impact them, and they should protect themselves and others and their property from harm.”

Forecasters will now have the ability to draw a perimeter around the area they think is most likely to be affected and then push an alert to phones in that area.

The changes only apply to severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings. Other alerts like heat warnings and thunderstorm watches will still have broad alert areas.

— with files from The Canadian Press

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