Three tornadoes confirmed from Thursday’s storms in Ontario, Quebec
Experts confirmed at least three tornadoes touched down in Ontario and Quebec during the severe storms that hit the region on Thursday
Experts with Western University’s Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) have confirmed at least three tornadoes touched down in the severe thunderstorms that hit eastern Ontario and southern Quebec on Thursday, July 13.
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Survey crews identified two distinct damage paths in the town of Barrhaven, Ontario, just south of Ottawa, after severe storms hit the region just after the lunch hour on Thursday.
Each tornado received an EF-1 rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which estimates a tornado’s maximum wind speeds based on the damage left behind by the storm.
Barrhaven’s first tornado only stayed on the ground for a little over a kilometre, packing estimated winds of about 155 km/h as it hit the area. The second tornado touched down about one minute later, carving a path nearly 5 km long with estimated winds of about 155 km/h.
The pair of tornadoes that hit Barrhaven damaged numerous homes and injured one person, according to the NTP’s release on Saturday. Photos and videos from the area revealed widespread roof damage, shattered windows, and even one instance of a wooden plank pierced through an exterior wall.
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A third tornado touched down about half an hour later as the same line of thunderstorms swept into southern Quebec. A weather observer at Montreal’s Mirabel Airport reported a tornado around 1:19 p.m. local time, noting in their weather report that the tornado touched down south of the airport and moved toward the east.
Crews have not yet assigned a rating to the tornado near Mirabel Airport. The NTP’s release noted wind damage nearby in Sainte-Jerome and Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, but experts were still trying to determine if the damage is related to the tornado reported by the airport’s observer.
The Weather Network’s Mark Robinson arrived on the scene of the worst damage in Barrhaven not long after the storms exited the area.
Thursday’s storms brought the total number of tornadoes we’ve seen across Canada up to 34, which is just over half the average number of tornadoes the country sees in an entire year.
Ontario has seen 11 tornadoes so far this year, with the tornado near Mirabel Airport coming in as Quebec's first confirmed tornado of 2023.
Canada averages around 60 tornadoes every year, but the true number is likely much higher given that many severe storms unfold across unpopulated portions of the country where eyewitness accounts and radar coverage are sparse or non-existent.
Western University’s Northern Tornadoes Project is a yearslong effort to accurately document as many of Canada’s tornadoes as possible, helping meteorologists improve forecasts and issue better warnings to keep folks safe when severe weather strikes.
Thumbnail image courtesy of Tomislav Mitar via Twitter.
