Now that was some kind of storm!

NEWS/ STORM — A severe thunderstorm, the third in just two weeks, drenched Kamloops and the surrounding area Thursday night, bringing lightning and heavy rain.

Environment Canada issued a warning at 6 p.m. that conditions were favourable for the development of a thunderstorm capable of producing hail and heavy rain.

By then, it was too late for many residents, who became aware of the storm shortly before 5:30 as massive grey-blue clouds roiled in the sky to the east, converging in a vortex that moved west over the valley.

While the storm July 22 was a big one and lasted 20 minutes, Thursday’s was twice as long, with thunder and lightning actually increasing as it rolled overhead.

Some rain was continuing as this was being posted at 6:30.

However, flooding and damage appeared to be light in comparison to the July 22 storm, which turned the 10th Avenue underpass into a lake and destroyed landscaping in several parts of town. This time, the underpass remained drivable.

And, while there was runoff on the cliff at the south end of Overlanders Bridge, there was no rockfall, and traffic was proceeding as normal.

A third storm Aug. 2 was more style with substance, with plenty of lightning but little damage except for a spike in forest fires.

While there were no immediate reports of injuries Thursday, Environment Canada kindly pointed out that lightning kills up to 10 Canadians every year.