Just before 5 p.m. on Thursday, Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the city, predicting potentially intense thunderstorms later in the evening.

The first alert of the day, before the warning had been issued, was a thunderstorm watch advisory for the Ottawa and Gatineau regions. That watch notice stated that wind gusts of as much as 110 km/h, torrential rainfall possibly in excess of 50 millimetres and nickel-sized hail were potential hazards for area residents on Thursday evening.