Lightning over North Okanagan

https://youtu.be/KEpsjvbl7NM

Time compressed video of lightning storm. Thunder sounds were added during editing

August 23 2026 - As forecast by Environment Canada, thunderstorms rolled through the North Okanagan on Saturday evening, bringing brief but much-appreciated rain.

Dozens of lightning flashes lit up the sky. While many remained in the clouds, some cloud-to-ground strikes were reported.

Dozen of lightning events occured over the region

Local fire departments were kept busy checking reports of lightning hitting the ground.

Here is a direct link to the time-compressed video of the storm - https://youtu.be/KEpsjvbl7NM

Lightning density mapping for the evening (see map) shows concentrated activity in the Vernon–Coldstream–Kalamalka area between roughly 6:45 p.m. and 9:05 p.m.

Lightning density in the North Okanagan on the evening of 22 August 2026 (larger circles indicate higher flash concentration)

Fortunately, no new fires have been confirmed in the immediate North Okanagan so far.

There were, however, unconfirmed reports of possible smoke spotted in the hills around Coldstream at suspected light strike locations.

The intermittent rain is unlikely to make any lasting difference to drought conditions or overall fire risk in the region, but it was welcomed for temporarily improving air quality by helping clear some of the lingering wildfire smoke.

Lightning over North Okanagan