An unusually intense thunderstorm hammered parts of southern British Columbia late Saturday, producing heavy rain, frequent lightning and power interruptions that left thousands of residents and travellers coping with delays and uncertainty.
Widespread warnings and travel disruption
Environment Canada issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Metro Vancouver, Whistler, the Southern Gulf Islands and sections of Vancouver Island as the system passed through the region.
At Vancouver International Airport (YVR), the storm forced a pause in airfield operations because lightning prevented ground crews from working safely. The airport said some passengers were held on aircraft between about 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. while arrivals were unable to taxi to gates and departures could not push back.
"When lightning is in direct proximity of the airport, airfield operations must be paused for the safety of our employees and passengers," the airport said in a statement.
Stranded passengers, lengthy waits
Passengers described long waits on the tarmac. A traveller from Cedar, B.C., said his flight landed around 10:30 p.m., and that crew cited safety rules preventing ground staff from moving the aircraft. He said conditions aboard the plane grew uncomfortably warm during the delay.
"Six and a half hours later we're still sitting on the tarmac waiting for a groundcrew to pull us in, and the storm was intense," the passenger said. "We understand the factor of like, 'We've got to keep everybody safe,' but the lightning had stopped and then it was still another four hours that we sat out there and nothing happened, so it was pretty frustrating."
The airport confirmed it called in additional staff on Saturday and Sunday to assist passengers and said it was working to recover its schedule, but warned that impacts to flights continued as the recovery proceeded.
Power outages and lightning activity
Utility outage maps showed thousands of customers without power across parts of the province as crews responded to storm-related faults. The intense lightning activity associated with the system was a primary factor in both the flight interruptions and the electrical outages.
- Severe thunderstorm warnings covered Metro Vancouver, Whistler, Southern Gulf Islands and parts of Vancouver Island.
- Passengers faced delays at YVR roughly between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., with individual flights reporting longer waits on the tarmac.
- Power outages affected thousands of customers; crews were dispatched to restore service.
What officials and travellers should know
Airports and airlines must pause ramp and airfield work while lightning is in proximity to ensure the safety of ground staff and passengers. That safety protocol can result in prolonged waits on arriving or departing aircraft, particularly when staffing is strained during a widespread weather event.
| Issue | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Flight delays | Passengers stranded on tarmac; broader schedule impacts at YVR |
| Power outages | Thousands of customers affected across the region (as per outage maps) |
| Weather alerts | Severe thunderstorm warnings for Metro Vancouver, Whistler, Southern Gulf Islands and parts of Vancouver Island |
Officials and service providers were working to restore normal operations. Travellers affected by extended delays were advised to retain receipts for expenses such as hotels or meals if they intended to seek reimbursement from their airline or airport authority.
The storm was part of a broader weather system that produced substantial lightning across the province. Utilities and emergency responders remained on alert as they assessed damage and restored services.
InfoRadar will continue to update readers as airports, utilities and provincial agencies release further information about service restoration and any ongoing travel advisories.
