Denise's Blog Spot

A fierce summer thunderstorm swept through Winnipeg late Thursday, with bolts of lightning that spooked residents, split a tree and apparently set a house on fire.

"It was raining, pouring and thundering like crazy out here," said Kevin Wood, who lives in Transcona. "All I heard was a big boom."

Wood immediately stepped outside his side-by-side home and was horrified to see the house across the street at 524 McMeans Ave. engulfed in flames.

"There was a lot of smoke. It looks like it (the lightning) caught the right side of the roof," Wood said.

The blaze caught the attention of most in the neighbourhood, who gathered to see the commotion. The Winnipeg Fire Department said the fire occurred around 4:20 p.m. No one was injured and damage was estimated to be $140,000 to the structure and $40,000 to the contents. The cause of the fire is still officially under investigation.

Elsewhere Thursday afternoon, lightning struck a tree near Flora Street and Charles Walk.

The bolt split the tree and edged toward a wrought-iron handrail. No one was hurt.

Environment Canada meteorologist Mike Russo said lightning is a part of every thunderstorm and warned Manitobans to take precautions.

"When there is lightning, the best thing you can do is get indoors, avoid any trees and tall objects.

If you're on the golf course, the best thing to do is to make your way back to the clubhouse," he said.

Russo said the thunderstorm activity was fuelled by a cold front that moved through Manitoba and collided with moisture in the air.

Severe thunderstorm watches and warnings were in effect for most of southern, central and northeastern Manitoba Thursday night.

"We're into prime-time summer now, this type of weather is normal actually," Russo said.

It was so dry before the storm that a grass fire started along the CPR La Rivière railway tracks on the east side of Kenaston Boulevard, between Sterling Lyon Parkway and McGillivray Boulevard.

A district fire chief at the scene said it took 10 fire trucks and 31 firefighters to bring the blaze under control.

This weekend, the cold front is expected to cool temperatures off slightly.

The forecast calls for showers and possible thunderstorms today, with temperatures no higher than the low-20s through the weekend. Temperatures are expected to climb back into the high 20s early next week, Russo said.

In central and northeastern parts of Manitoba Friday, rainfall is expected to continue, along with winds out of the north gusting to 50 km/h.

The province is warning Interlake residents to brace for some overland flooding today and Saturday.

A strong storm system is moving slowly in from Saskatchewan and was expected to deliver heavy rains from Thursday night to Saturday.

The Interlake has already had a wetter-than-normal summer, so soil is saturated, ditches are high and streams are close to overflowing. More rain could produce heavy run-off and overland flooding.

The province is warning residents to take precautions and protect their properties.

Taken from the Winnipeg Free Press.