Much of Manitoba placed under severe thunderstorm watch on Thursday

Much of Manitoba is under a thunderstorm watch on Thursday, Environment Canada says.

The watch is in effect for a large swath of the province, from southwestern Manitoba to the Interlake region and northeastern parts of the province, Environment Canada said Thursday morning.

Strong winds, large hail and heavy rains could hit those areas as conditions are favourable for the development of dangerous thunderstorms, the weather agency says.

An unstable air mass that has persisted through the southern Prairies over the last week will create thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon. Meteorologists expect the thunderstorms to weaken as the sun sets.

The warning does not include the southeastern corner of the province, including Portage la Prairie, Gimli and Winnipeg.

Severe thunderstorm watches are issued when weather conditions are likely to develop into thunderstorms that could create large hail, dangerous winds or heavy rains.

Severe thunderstorms can lead to tornadoes and heavy rains can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads, Environment Canada said.

Large hail can injure people and damage property. Strong gusts of wind can also throw loose objects around, destroy weak buildings, snap branches from trees and turn over large vehicles.

Up-to-date information on current weather can be found on Environment Canada's website.