Tornado alert lifted minutes after phone alert in Prince George, B.C. area

A tornado alert was sent to phones in the Prince George, B.C., area on Tuesday night as forecasters warned of severe thunderstorms in the area, but was lifted shortly after. 

The alert was issued at 8:18 p.m. PT in the north-central B.C. city, which is located around 515 kilometres northeast of Vancouver and whose urban area has a population of just under 90,000 as of the 2021 census.

It told residents to take immediate cover in a basement or interior room, and shelter from flying debris if outside.

While a tornado warning was lifted by Environment Canada shortly after the alert was issued to phones in the area, a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect as of 8:30 p.m. PT.

Environment Canada says a line of severe thunderstorms just east of Prince George was moving northeast at 50 km/h, and it urged residents to take immediate cover if a thunderstorm approaches.

"Severe thunderstorm warnings are issued when imminent or occurring thunderstorms are expected to produce damaging hail, wind or rain," according to Environment Canada.

A severe thunderstorm watch is also in place for a large swath of the central B.C. Interior around Prince George, including Quesnel, with the watch extending past the Alberta border.

WATCH | B.C.'s first tornado of the year near Vanderhoof in May: 

Rare tornado recorded in B.C.'s Interior

2 months ago

Duration 1:03

According to experts with the Northern Tornadoes Project, a rare landspout tornado was captured on video near Vanderhoof, B.C., just after 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21.

Earlier this year, B.C.'s first tornado of the year was recorded just west of Prince George near Vanderhoof.

A report from Western University's Northern Tornadoes Project said a landspout-type tornado occurred on the afternoon of May 21, and it resulted in no damage.

No immediate reports of a tornado near Prince George was posted on the Northern Tornadoes Project tracker on Tuesday night.