Severe thunderstorms in the Prairies

Friday, July 12, 2013, 6:12 AM -

Parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba will see some rain Thursday evening, prompting Environment Canada to issue thunderstorm watches across the region.

THUNDERSTORM RISK CONTINUES: Tune into The Weather Network on TV for updates.

According to Monica Vaswani, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, the greatest risk area will be along the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border beginning Thursday evening.

Wind gusts up to 90 km/h, large hail and up to 50 mm of rain are in the forecast.

"If you live along the border, expect loud thunder," she says, adding that "it's important to note that a layer of warm air aloft could prevent the storms from developing. If they do, however, they're likely to be severe."

While no tornado watches or warnings have been issued, there is the potential for a twister to develop during the overnight hours.

Stormy weather will continue on Friday, but further east.

"The system is moving towards the Manitoba/north-western Ontario border," Vaswani says.

"These regions can expect similar conditions on Friday."