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STORMS BY YEAR:
2008  Photo/Info storm entries
2007  Photo/Info storm entries
2006  Photo/Info pages
2005  Photo/Info pages
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2003  Photo/Info pages
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2001  Stats/Photos/VidClips
         VHS Video
2000  Storm Archive
         Stats & Summary
         VHS Video
1999  Storm Archive
         Stats & Summary
         Chase Logs
         VHS Video
1998  Storm Archive
         Stats & Summary
         Chase Logs
1987  Edmonton F4
1985  Barrie - Dual F4's
1898  Story with Photos

More Photos:
    Adam Bennett
    Des Cairns
    Randy Colburn
    Tim Dyson
    Mike Gavrailoff
    Dave Girotto
    Ron Gravelle
    Art Houghton
    Ashlie Luska
    Stephen Mayne
    Patrick McCarthy
    Brian Morganti
    Colin McIntyre
    Jennifer Metcalfe
    Rob Paola
    Mark Rozitis
    Lisa Welsh
    Colin Williamson
    Riley Woytas

Edmonton, Alberta, 1987: F4
Click picture for pictures/info.

And more photos of the above AVE>
And more photos of the above here

North Bay, Ontario :

High River, Alberta, June 27/'96:

Clear Creek, Ontario, Aug.4/'99: 
(Video shot  by Gage Townsend)

- Canada is 2nd only to the United States in the number of tornados that touch down each year.  On average, 100 tornados are reported by radar or sighted by people each year, yet, due to the lack of Doppler radar in Canada (which can predict tornado formations within a storm), and due to the fact that much of Canada is sparsely populated, many tornados go undetected.  The true number of tornados that touch down on Canadian soil each year could be much more than the number reported. What is "severe" weather?  Severe weather is defined as any element of the weather that threaten peoples' property or safety.

- How does Southern Ontario compare with the states for tornado frequency?  It was stated in a university study that Southern Ontario has about half of the number of tornados as the most afflicted region of the U.S. in Oklahoma and Kansas. The Red River valley of southern Manitoba has reported frequencies about one-third of the highest values in the U.S.   "Southern Canada definitely has a tornado hazard, all the way from New Brunswick to the B.C. interior. Only in extreme southwestern Ontario, though, is an average of one F2 to F4 tornado per 10,000 square miles per year experienced."

- Environment Canada defines a severe thunderstorm as the following:  Wind gusts of 90 km/h or greater, hail of 2 centimeters diameter or greater, rainfall rate greater than 50 millimetres in 1 hour or less, or 75 millimetres in 3 hours or less.


LATEST UPDATE:  JUL.1 - HAPPY CANADA DAY !

JUN.30
Tornadoes touch down in Saskatchewan

JUN.29
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

A WEATHER DISTURBANCE TERMED BY METEOROLOGISTS AS A COLD LOW HAS ARRIVED OVER THE GREAT LAKES AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UNSETTLED SHOWERY WEATHER TODAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT PARTS OF SOUTHERN ONTARIO THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY BRIEFLY PRODUCE 1 TO 2 CENTIMETRE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS TO 70 OR 80 KM/H.

CONDITIONS ARE ALSO FAVOURABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUNNEL CLOUDS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THESE TYPES OF FUNNEL CLOUDS FORM OUT OF LARGE CUMULUS CLOUDS OR WEAK THUNDERSTORMS AND NORMALLY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY TO REACH THE GROUND.

HOWEVER THERE IS A RISK THAT ONE OF THESE FUNNELS MAY BRIEFLY TOUCH DOWN AS A WEAK TORNADO AND BECOME DESTRUCTIVE OVER A VERY SMALL AREA. TREAT ALL FUNNEL CLOUDS AND TORNADOES SERIOUSLY AND AVOID WHEN POSSIBLE. SHOULD ONE DEVELOP OVERHEAD, TAKE SHELTER UNTIL IT DISSIPATES. REMEMBER, THESE FUNNEL CLOUDS WILL NORMALLY APPEAR WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

JUN.25 - SEVERE STORMS
Severe thunderstorm warnings issued for this area (Niagara) as well as many other areas of southern Ontario.  Tornado warnings issued.  Tornado touchdown confirmed on video.

Photo by unknown motorist of Avon-area F2 tornado :

2 videos at the top of this page

APR.28 - 2 CONFIRMED TORNADOS

1ST TORNADO CONFIRMATION:

AWCN11 CWTO 260706 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN ONTARIO AND THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA TORONTO AT 2:49 AM EDT SUNDAY 26 APRIL 2009.

   AFTER RECEIVING REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS AND A POSSIBLE TORNADO IN THE WINDSOR AREA SATURDAY EVENING, AN ENVIRONMENT CANADA DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM WAS SENT OUT EARLIER TODAY. AFTER SPEAKING WITH SOME EYEWITNESSES TO THE EVENT AND VIEWING THE DAMAGE, ENVIRONMENT CANADA IS CONFIRMING ONTARIO'S FIRST TORNADO OF THE 2009 SEASON. THE TORNADO BRIEFLY OCCURRED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HANNA ST EAST AND LANGLOIS AVENUE IN WINDSOR. IT DID MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO A UNION HALL AND DEBRIS FROM THE ROOF ALSO DID SOME DAMAGE TO HOMES TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE UNION HALL. THE TORNADO WAS RATED AS A FUJITA SCALE ZERO EVENT WITH MAXIMUM WINDS AROUND 90 KILOMETRES PER HOUR. THIS IS THE LOWEST RATING ON THE FUJITA SCALE WHICH GOES FROM ZERO TO FIVE.    ENVIRONMENT CANADA PERSONNEL ARE CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE DAMAGE FROM SATURDAY'S STORMS THAT OCCURRED IN THE OTTAWA AREA. SOME OF THIS DAMAGE MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN RELATED TO TORNADOES. AN UPDATE ON THIS INVESTIGATION WILL BE ISSUED ON TUESDAY.    SATURDAY'S STORMS WERE A REMINDER THAT THE SUMMER SEVERE WEATHER SEASON HAS NOW BEGUN IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO. THE SEASON NORMALLY BEGINS IN LATE APRIL AND LASTS UNTIL EARLY OCTOBER. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE LARGE HAIL, HEAVY RAIN, DAMAGING WINDS OR TORNADOES. AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO STAY INFORMED ABOUT THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS, WATCHES AND WARNINGS. ON DAYS WHEN SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE, KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK THE MOST SOLID SHELTER AVAILABLE.

2ND TORNADO CONFIRMATION:
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN ONTARIO AND THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA TORONTO AT 2:56 PM EDT TUESDAY 28 APRIL 2009.

THE SECOND CONFIRMED TORNADO FROM SATURDAYS STORMS OVER ONTARIO.  ON SATURDAY APRIL 25TH A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CROSSED EASTERN ONTARIO INCLUDING THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION. AROUND 7:30 PM THE OTTAWA-GATINEAU REGION EXPERIENCED A BRIEF PERIOD OF VERY HIGH WINDS..GUSTS AS HIGH AS 96 KM/H WERE MEASURED AT THE GATINEAU AIRPORT. THERE WERE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF DOWNED TREES, POWER LINES AND POWER OUTAGES ACROSS THE REGION, AND A FEW BUILDINGS LOST PART OR ALL OF THEIR ROOFS, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER.

ENVIRONMENT CANADA BELIEVES THAT MOST OF THE DAMAGE FROM THIS EVENT WAS STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE DUE TO THE STRONG OUTFLOW FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER, THERE WAS ONE SWATH OF DAMAGE IN THE WEST END OF OTTAWA, FROM BRITTANIA PARK TOWARDS CARLINGTON HEIGHTS (TOTAL LENGTH APPROX 5 KM) WHICH EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE DAMAGE PATH RANGED FROM 50 METRES WIDE OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE PATH TO NEAR 150 METRES WIDE OVER THE EASTERN PART. FURTHERMORE, ONE EYEWITNESS NEAR THE BRITTANIA YACHT CLUB REPORTS SEEING THREE WATERSPOUTS OVER THE RIVER, ONE OF WHICH HEADED TOWARDS BRITTANIA BEACH. OTHER WITNESSES ON MORISSET AVE. REPORTED SEEING FUNNEL CLOUDS AND SWIRLING DEBRIS.

THE COMBINATION OF THE DAMAGE TRACK AND EYEWITNESS REPORTS IS SUFFICIENT FOR ENVIRONMENT CANADA TO CONFIRM THE SECOND TORNADO OF THE SEASON FOR ONTARIO. (WHILE THREE INDIVIDUAL WATERSPOUTS WERE SEEN OVER THE WATER, THIS WILL BE TREATED AS ONE TORNADO EVENT.) THE TORNADO WAS RATED AS AN UPPER END FUJITA SCALE ZERO (F-0) EVENT WITH MAXIMUM WINDS AROUND 115 KM/H.

2009 THUNDERSTORMS LISTING
 RED = Severe Thunderstorm Warning   YELLOW = Severe Thunderstorm Watch
DATE TIME CLOUD
TOPS		 DESCRIPTION
Mar.7 19:31 35,000 Moderate rain, weak thunder
Apr.25 18:15 35,000 Strong winds before storm.  *Large* squall line passed through encompassing most of southern and central Ontario.  OPP-reported tornado in Algonquin Park, hydro poles down in Toronto, 140km/hr wind gust reported.
Severe tstorm warning issued by E.C. at 18:03.  Two tornados confirmed during this outbreak (see tornado listing below)
May.8 23:00 ?  
May.9 10:30 0 Severe thunderstorm warning issued.  No storm.
May.16 05:15 ? Frequent thunder & lightning, moderate rain, light wind.
May.28 17:55 30,000 Light rain, no wind.  Weak thunder.
May.30 17:50 20,000 Weak thunder, moderate rain, brief moderate to strong wind.
May.31 00:10 20,000 Weak thunder
Jun.8 23:45 30,000 Weak thunder, no wind/rain.
Jun.9 01:00 35,000 Moderate thunder/lightning.  Light wind and rain.
Jun.25 13:00 40,000 Strong winds with lower rotation as storm approached, strong thunder/lightning, strong winds, small hail, heavy downpours.  Tornado touchdown in Simcoe area.  EC statement: "ONE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SPAWNED A TORNADO NEAR AVON..WEST OF TILLSONBURG..WHICH HAS BEEN CONFIRMED SO FAR BY A DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM AS FUJITA SCALE 2 (181 TO 252 KM/H WIND SPEED) ON THE FUJITA DAMAGE SCALE. THERE WAS LARGE HAIL REPORTED AT A FEW LOCALES AS WELL."  Video 1,  Video 2
19:30 ? Weak storm.  Light thunder, no wind, no rain.
Jun.26 09:40 30,000 Weak isolated cell
Jun.28 19:45 35,000 (non-severe) No winds, light rain, light rumbling of thunder.
20:30 35,000 Heavy downpours, frequent thunder/lightning.  Light wind.
Jun.29 13:00 25,000 Weak thunderstorms all afternoon (light rain, no wind, minimal distant rumbling thunder)
19:00 30,000 Moderate rain, light winds, moderate thunder/lightning.
Jun.30 16:45 30,000 Dark cloud bases looked threatening, but was actually a small and week cell.  No wind/rain, light rumbling thunder, no visible lightning.

2009 TORNADO LISTING
DATE TIME LOCATION -DESCRIPTION
Apr.25 PM (F0) WINDSOR - NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HANNA ST EAST AND LANGLOIS AVENUE IN WINDSOR. IT DID MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO A UNION HALL AND DEBRIS FROM THE ROOF ALSO DID SOME DAMAGE TO HOMES TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE UNION HALL. THE TORNADO WAS RATED AS A FUJITA SCALE ZERO EVENT WITH MAXIMUM WINDS AROUND 90 KILOMETRES PER HOUR.
Apr.25 18:30

(F0) OTTAWA - THERE WAS ONE SWATH OF DAMAGE IN THE WEST END OF OTTAWA, FROM BRITTANIA PARK TOWARDS CARLINGTON HEIGHTS (TOTAL LENGTH APPROX 5 KM) WHICH EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE DAMAGE PATH RANGED FROM 50 METRES WIDE OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE PATH TO NEAR 150 METRES WIDE OVER THE EASTERN PART. FURTHERMORE, ONE EYEWITNESS NEAR THE BRITTANIA YACHT CLUB REPORTS SEEING THREE WATERSPOUTS OVER THE RIVER, ONE OF WHICH HEADED TOWARDS BRITTANIA BEACH. OTHER WITNESSES ON MORISSET AVE. REPORTED SEEING FUNNEL CLOUDS AND SWIRLING DEBRIS.  THE COMBINATION OF THE DAMAGE TRACK AND EYEWITNESS REPORTS IS SUFFICIENT FOR ENVIRONMENT CANADA TO CONFIRM THE SECOND TORNADO OF THE SEASON FOR ONTARIO. (WHILE THREE INDIVIDUAL WATERSPOUTS WERE SEEN OVER THE WATER, THIS WILL BE TREATED AS ONE TORNADO EVENT.) THE TORNADO WAS RATED AS AN UPPER END FUJITA SCALE ZERO (F-0) EVENT WITH MAXIMUM WINDS AROUND 115 KM/H.
Jun.25 13:50 (F2) south of AVON - (west of Tilsonburg) Roof removed from bungalow, damage path 4km long.
16:40 (F1) near Leamington - barn destroyed
     

PICTURE OF THE MOMENT (email me yours!)  Previous photos here!
Photo by Fred V. (Hamilton, On) May.30, 2009 :