It was a soggy end to August for much of southwestern Manitoba. A major thunderstorm tore through the region on Sunday, bringing with it heavy rainfall, strong winds and widespread destruction. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) also confirmed the presence of a tornado in Elkhorn – a Manitoba community about 15 kilometres from the Saskatchewan border. According to ECCC, Kola saw the heaviest rainfall with 80.5 millimetres (mm). The area also saw the destruction of a barn and hayshed at a nearby farm. The weather agency reports 71.6 mm of rain in San Clara, 54.1 mm in Birch River, and over 46 mm in both Morden and Swan River. Other communities that saw heavy precipitation include St. Lazare, Swan Valley and Roblin with 44 mm; Waskada and Virden with around 40 mm; and Pierson, Bede and Melita with 39 mm. ECCC also recorded large rainfall totals at several Manitoba fire program stations. This includes Hart Mountain with 73.2 mm, Minitonas with 71.7 mm, Kettle Hills with 58.7 mm and Sarah Lake with 52.1 mm. The full list of Sunday’s rainfall totals is available online.
