Severe thunderstorm watch issued in New Brunswick, rainy start to the weekend

Friday thunderstorms

After a cloudy, showery start to the day, the northwest of New Brunswick will get into some afternoon sunny breaks Friday. As the sun shines through, warmth and humidity builds, creating a buoyant atmosphere favourable for thunderstorms. A cold front approaching from over the St. Lawrence River Valley in Quebec will provide the trigger to get those thunderstorms going.

The area with the highest risk of thunderstorms Friday afternoon into evening runs approximately between Perth–Andover and Woodstock in the west and then continues to Fredericton and into the northeast, including Campbellton-Dalhousie, Bathurst, the Acadian Peninsula, and Miramichi.

The period of time at highest risk extends from 2 p.m. to about 9 p.m. After 9 p.m., thunderstorms that do develop should have ended or be weakening.

Conditions favour the development of potentially severe thunderstorms in New Brunswick Friday afternoon.

A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for much of northwestern New Brunswick near noon on Friday. Environment Canada cautions the thunderstorms could produce rain rates of 25 mm per hour and wind gusts of 70 to 90 km/h. Be weather aware and remember when thunder roars head indoors. The situation with thunderstorms changes rapidly. Have a way to monitor the latest watch/warnings issued by Environment Canada.

A severe thunderstorm watch issued by Environment Canada near noon on Friday.

Weekend rain

Cloud will be increasing for the Maritimes Friday night. Patchy showers and drizzle will develop in the region by midnight. An early Saturday morning round of rain that moves across the southwest of Nova Scotia, Bay of Fundy coastline in New Brunswick, and into Prince Edward Island could include embedded thunderstorms.

A second round of rain will move across Nova Scotia and P.E.I. Saturday morning and afternoon. The rain will be clearing mainland Nova Scotia and P.E.I. by Saturday evening. The rain will be clearing Cape Breton through the evening.

Bands of rain cross the Maritimes on Saturday. Communities in southeastern New Brunswick, P.E.I., and Nova Scotia are most likely to catch them.

Rain amounts expected

Rain totals are going to be highly varied across the Maritimes Friday through Saturday. Communities that catch thunderstorms or some of the steadier rain could pick up rain amounts of 10 to 40 mm. Areas that just see showers or lighter, intermittent rain will see as little as a few to several millimetres.

Areas that have a higher chance of rain amounts 10 mm or more include southeastern New Brunswick, central and eastern P.E.I., and Nova Scotia in general.

Varied rain totals from the showers and rain Friday into Saturday. Some as little as a few millimetres and others 10 to 40 mm.