Several power poles were affected by wind or lightning. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

extreme weather

High wind, lightning knocks out power to northern Saskatchewan residents

Aug 10, 2020 | 12:46 PM

A deep low-pressure system moving through northern Saskatchewan on Sunday knocked out the power to hundreds of residents.

That’s according to Environment and Climate Change Canada Meteorologist Terri Lang, who said there were strong winds associated with it and a lot of rain. While La Ronge received 9.1 millimetres of rain, areas further North had higher amounts of precipitation and rainfall warnings were in place.

“The highest gust I saw was 62 kilometres per hour,” Lang said. “It was probably a lot stronger in open areas like over the water and such. Sometimes it’s difficult to get the really strong gusts up North where there is a lot of trees. The trees act with a bit of friction and slows down the wind speeds. Over water, they would have certainly been stronger.”

As a result of the storm, SaskPower media relations consultant Scott McGregor noted five or six poles were damaged either by wind or lightning strikes. He added the power went out at about 4:10 p.m. and came back on at 8:20 p.m.

At its peak, there were 350 customers without service and McGregor said communities affected included Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Timber Bay and surrounding areas.

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“With Saskatchewan summers, we do have some pretty powerful weather that comes through and, unfortunately, lightning strikes are a fact of nature,” he said. “Power poles are hit by lightning and it’s something that happens every summer. We want to encourage people that if they see any of our equipment has been damaged, either by storm or any other means, give us a call and we’ll make sure the area is safe and start repairs.”

For the remainder of the day, Lang expects the weather to be brisk with light wind. She mentioned there could be a chance of showers, however, the low-pressure system is starting to make its way to Manitoba.

“Our next weather system will probably come through Wednesday with a chance of showers once again,” Lang said.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno