Environment Canada issues tornado warning for east Central Alberta

Environment Canada lifts tornado warning for east Central Alberta

An alert warning people to take cover was lifted more than an hour later.

A tornado warning for residents in east Central Alberta has lifted after people were warned to prepare for a tornado following severe thunderstorms that formed early Wednesday evening.

Meteorologists with Environment Canada say severe thunderstorms in the area were creating the conditions for a tornado. A critical alert issued at 7:23 p.m. warned people to take cover after a tornado began forming near Paradise Valley, a village southwest of Llloydminster, Alta.

The storm then began moving eastward into Saskatchewan shortly and the warning in Alberta ended at 8:48 p.m.

"Tornado warnings are issued when a thunderstorm is producing or is likely to produce a tornado,” read the alert, adding the situation was "very dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation."

People in the municipal districts of Wainwright and Provost, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, were also warned to prepare for extreme winds, large hail and locally intense rainfall during the alert. Neighbouring areas are still under a severe thunderstorm alert.

Emma Zhao is a reporter with CBC Edmonton. You can reach her at emma.zhao@cbc.ca.