The watch is in effect for parts of North, West, Inland and East Vancouver Island and affects all of the \u201cnorthern half of Vancouver Island,\u201d including the communities of Woss, Zeballos, Tahsis, Gold River, Sayward and Vernon Lake.<\/p>\n
The alert also encompasses Highway 19 between Port McNeill and Campbell River, and Highway 28 between Gold River and Campbell River.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis area is bordered by Port McNeill, Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park, and Strathcona Provincial Park,\u201d said the weather office.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-17-101559-e1784308587609-1024x577.jpg\")
The areas under the severe thunderstorm watch are shown as of 10:15 a.m. July 17. (Environment Canada)<\/p>\n
Environment Canada is warning drivers of potential flash flooding and limited visibility due to heavy rain, and says drivers should avoid travelling through flooded roadways.<\/p>\n
It adds that people should seek shelter if they hear thunder or see lightning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen thunder roars, go indoors!\u201d said Environment Canada. \u201cLightning kills and injures Canadians every year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Environment Canada meteorologist Jennifer Kowal says the thunderstorms are being caused by a low pressure system that\u2019s made its way to the Island.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that the centre is over Vancouver Island it\u2019s really the northern part of the Island that\u2019s still really vulnerable,\u201d she said in an interview Friday morning. \u201cMoving into the Centre Coast, Bella Coola, Heckman Pass, then moving through the Central Interior of B.C. and into the Peace District, is some of the areas we\u2019re looking at today for some severe weather.\u201d<\/p>\n
Courtenay thunderstorm warning downgraded<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a short-lived \u201csevere thunderstorm warning\u201d was in effect for the Courtenay area on Friday morning, before being replaced by a \u201cwatch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Environment Canada posted the warning for the Courtenay area and surrounding communities, as well as Highway 19, at 8:15 a.m.<\/p>\n
The alert was lifted by 8:35 a.m., before a watch was instated alongside the other severe thunderstorm watches on Vancouver Island around 9:40 a.m.<\/p>\n
While the thunderstorm warning did not last long, during that time one Courtenay man says he felt a shock after lightning struck the roof of his home, causing it to catch fire<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kowal says the warning was brief because a \u201csevere cell\u201d quickly passed through Comox.<\/p>\n \u201cIt looked like it was quite severe in terms of some pretty heavy downpours,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n During the first warning, Environment Canada said that the thunderstorm was \u201ccapable of producing up to quarter size hail and heavy rain.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, CHEK viewer photos of the Courtenay area on Friday morning show vehicles driving through flooded streets.<\/p>\n Environment Canada says severe thunderstorm warnings are issued if \u201cimminent or occurring thunderstorms are expected to produce damaging hail, wind or rain.\u201d<\/p>\n Kowal says Environment Canada looks for three main factors when deciding on whether or not to issue an alert.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we are looking for the possibility of 25 millimetres of rain, up to two centimetres of hail, or 90 kilometre wind gusts \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t have to be all three of those things, it\u2019s if we can reach one of those, then we would consider it to be severe.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image1-1.jpeg\")
A flooded street is pictured in Courtenay at 8 a.m. (Janet Darby)<\/p>\n