Summer Storm Disrupts Flights at YVR

A powerful thunderstorm on the south coast of British Columbia over the weekend led to delays and cancellations at Vancouver International Airport. From 9:30 pm local time on Saturday, Aug. 22 until 2:55 am Sunday, Aug. 23, lighting in the area meant flights could not depart YVR and many arriving flights were unable to taxi to the gate once landed. 

This meant some passengers spent hours on planes stranded on the tarmac. CityNews reports that 50 flights were cancelled and 53 had been delayed. According to a statement from the airport, some flights continued to be affected well into Sunday and passengers were being advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport. 

These kind of summer storms are rare in the greater Vancouver area, CBC meteorologist  Johanna Wagstaffe explained that  the centre of a low-pressure system pushed onshore near Richmond (where YVR is located) after travelling from the equator, loaded with moisture, which led to the dramatic storm. "This was quite the system, hundreds of cloud to ground strikes ... mainly in Vancouver/Richmond," Wagstaffe said.

In addition to the havoc at the airport, widespread power outages were reported. B.C. Hydro stated it was working to restore power to more than 3,800 customers in the Lower Mainland and along the Sunshine Coast as of Sunday morning.  

The Weather Network shared footage of the storm that rocked the coast.

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