Orange tornado watch covers much of southwestern Manitoba on Tuesday

Tornado warning issued near St-Pierre-Jolys as severe thunderstorms move into southern Manitoba

Much of southwestern Manitoba under orange tornado watch on Tuesday

A part of southern Manitoba is under a tornado warning on Tuesday afternoon as severe thunderstorms move across the province.

Forecasters are tracking a severe thunderstorm possibly producing a tornado, Environment Canada says. Damaging winds, large hail and heavy rains are also possible.

The warning, issued just after 4 p.m., covers the communities of Grunthal, St. Malo and St-Pierre-Jolys.

The situation is "very dangerous and potentially life-threatening," the warning says.

Much of southern Manitoba is also under an orange tornado watch as a "large linear thunderstorm complex" is expected to move in from Saskatchewan on Tuesday evening, the weather agency says.

The watch, issued just before 2 p.m., covered most of the province's southwestern corner, stretching up to the western shore of Lake Manitoba and part of the Interlake region. It also included the cities of Brandon, Winnipeg, Portage la Prairie, Steinbach, Morden and Winkler.

Severe thunderstorms that could produce tornadoes are possible in the weather conditions in those areas, the weather agency said. Strong winds, large hail and heavy rain are also possible.

Forecasters predicted a developing frontal system would move into southern Manitoba on Tuesday afternoon, bringing in an unstable air mass "ripe for the development" of severe thunderstorms, Environment Canada says.

The thunderstorms are expected to begin around 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. over southwestern Manitoba and parts of southeastern Saskatchewan, with the first storms "being discrete" before growing into a "large linear thunderstorm complex" that will move eastward over southwestern Manitoba Tuesday evening, the watch said.

The development of smaller thunderstorms are also possible over the Red River Valley later Tuesday afternoon, the watch said.

Large hail will be the primary threat early on in the storms before they present a "widespread wind threat" early Tuesday evening, the watch said.

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