Heavy rain from thunderstorms caused flooding in Saskatoon and extensive power outages in Prince Albert on Friday evening.
A low pressure system from Montana hit Saskatoon around 10 p.m. CST and it took nearly three hours for the storm to pass Saskatoon, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Environment Canada meteorologist Robyn Dyck said the agency could confirm that 20 to 35 millimetres of rain fell in some areas of Saskatoon, but radars indicated that it could have been as much as 70 millimetres in some areas.
The rain station in Prince Albert confirmed about six millimetres of rain, but Dyck estimates, based on radar data, that about 20 millimetres actually fell.
Dyck said more information on other areas affected by the storm would be released later in the day.
“The only other report I can mention is that we had some pretty severe storms closer to the (U.S.) border at Kildeer,” Dyck said.
There were also reports on social media of hailstones-sized particles, she said.
Saskatoon police also imposed road closures early Saturday morning in the area of Idylwyld Drive and Circle Drive, where the underpass was flooded.
In a press release issued around 3 a.m., police said emergency crews were working to recover stranded cars.
Traffic restrictions were lifted at 10am
Pictures published on social media showed several vehicles at the location in question, some of them in the water.
The storm caused extensive power outages in Prince Albert and SaskPower posted on social media site X that crews were working Saturday morning to repair damage caused by lightning strikes.
