Unusual thunderstorm drenches southern British Columbia, grounding flights at YVR

A rare thunderstorm, driven by a low-pressure system that migrated northward from the equator, unleashed a spectacular display of lightning across southern British Columbia's South Coast. One outlet meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe noted the sheer number of cloud-to-ground strikes, especially over Vancouver and Richmond. The storm forced Vancouver International Airport to suspend departures and block many arriving aircraft from taxiing between 9 p.m. Saturday and 3 a.m. Sunday, causing numerous delays and cancellations.

Video footage showed water pooling on the tarmac, while B.C. Hydro reported over 3,800 customers without electricity in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast. The B.C. River Forecast Centre warned of 20-25 mm of rain regionwide, with up to 60 mm in parts of the Cariboo to Yellowhead area, prompting a high-streamflow advisory for several rivers and a travel advisory for Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet.