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STORMS BY YEAR:
2008  Photo/Info storm entries
2006  Photo/Info pages
2005  Photo/Info pages
2004  Photo/Info pages
2003  Photo/Info pages
2002  Stats/Photos/VidClips
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
    Marc Nagy
    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.22 - CONTINUOUS LIGHTNING STORM PASSES TO THE NORTH
A very nice LP storm (for once!) passed by the shore between 10pm-midnight tonight.  Severe thunderstorm warning in effect.
Click thumbnails below for images:

JUL.22 - Tornado drops down in Welland, ON
A probable tornado touched down in Welland this afternoon (south of St. Catharines in the heart of Niagara).  Click thumbnails below for images:

(photo credit: Ashlie Luska)


(photo credit: Ashlie Luska)


(photo credit: Sandra)


(photos credit:  Mark Munson.)

JUL.9 - FIRST KILLER STORM OF THE YEAR IN ONTARIO YESTERDAY
A Toronto man was killed by lightning yesterday while standing under a tree during an intense thunderstorm.  The 28yr old man was found by a nearby resident and pronounced dead at hospital.

JUN.29 - SEVERE T-STORM

I was able to get out on the road for this one (an excuse to use my new camcorder).  Very visible core as I approached it from the outside, but unfortunately it turned HP very quick.  Large hail reported in the area I was in (western Niagara on the Lake - Stewart Rd. area).  Severe thunderstorm warning issued.  Click on the thumbnails below for larger images (video captures) :

Click here for video!
(right-click and select "Save Target" to save to your computer and play from there in order to avoid playing problems)

JUN.25 - PHOTOS FROM JUN.22 TORNADO
Thanks to James Syme for sending in these photos:

JUN.23 - TORNADO YESTERDAY
A touchdown out side of St. Mary's, ON (near London) occurred yesterday getting much media attention on local weather news.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9xa11KC32M

MORE FROM 2008 SEASON HERE...

2008 STORM DATA (listings below are for St. Catharines - personally witnessed storms only)TA (listings below are for St. Catharines - personally witnessed storms only)     = Warning       = Watch  (tornado watch/warnings will be listed in text)
Date Time Cloud Tops Description
Apr.11 23:00 30kft light rain, weak thunder/lightning
May.26 10:00 30kft light rain, weak thunder/lightning
May.31 00:30 45kft light rain, frequent lightning, minimal thunder
14:15 50kft (meso) heavy downpours, frequent lightning/thunder
Jun.5 22:15 40kft frequent lightning with CC/CGs, minimal wind/rain (lightning photos here)
Jun.8 19:16
Tornado
Warning
(no tornado)		 45kft Weak dissipating tstorm, weak thunder, no visible lightning, no rain, no wind.  Tornado warning issued.
20:30 50kft Severe thunderstorm - sky went dark out over lake followed by strong winds, heavy rain, very frequent lightning and loud thunder.  Lots of CC and CG lightning.  Many low scud clouds and horizontal cloud shear visible.
Jun.9 23:00 40kft faint thunder, minimal lightning.  Light rain/winds.
Jun.10 00:30 40kft moderate thunder/lightning/winds/rain.
Jun.13 21:30 45kft Intense continuous lightning/thunder.  Gusty winds, heavy downpours. (lightning photos here)
Jun.15 21:30 35kft Intense lightning, heavy rain, light winds (lightning photos here)
Jun.16 00:00 35kft Intense lightning, heavy rain, light winds (lightning photos here)
12:30 40kft Very close lightning, 'canon/explosion' thunder from close CGs, moderate rain, light wind.(photos here)
Jun.23 12:30 40kft Tiny little cell put down a brief burst of heavy rain and weak-moderate thunder.
Jun.28 02:30 ? moderate thunder/lightning, moderate rain, light winds
Jun.29 12:45 40kft Torrential downpours and very visible rain core while chasing, constant thunder, strong lightning, large hail reported at Niagara Airport, and in St. Catharines (Walmart on Welland Ave.)  Warning.
Jul.11 06:00 35kft Heavy rain, loud thunder and close lightning strikes (but not many)
Jul.16 06:30 ? Light thunder/rain.
Jul.17 03:45 35kft Frequent lightning, moderate rain, light winds.
Jul.19 14:00 25kft Cell 1: Light rain/thunder.  Cell 2: heavy rain, moderate wind, frequent thunder, very close CG lightning producing 'cannon' thunder (big 'BANG!' sounding like a truck just hit the house)
Jul.21 14:27 no storm No storm, no rain, blue sky.
Jul.22 22:15 45kft Continuous lightning, very active low-level cloud structure. (lightning photos here)
Earlier in the day this system produced a tornado (pictures are online including airborne debris) in Welland in the afternoon.
Jul.23 00:45 35kft Small but very circular (on radar) cell passed through producing frequent lightning
Jul.23 12:45 35kft Moderate thunder/lightning.  Heavy rain, light wind.
2007 Ontario Tornado Listing (F# = confirmed, F? = probable)
May.26 ? Windy Lake Provincial Park (near Sudbury)  F0
May.26 ? Reynolds Lake (NE of North Bay)  F0
Jun.6 18:00 Sault Ste. Marie

possible F0-F1  Severe thunderstorms passed through the Sault Ste Marie area on Friday June 6 near 6 PM EDT. Damage was reported at a tractor dealership near echo bay.  Photographic evidence suggests most of The damage was rated as Fujita scale zero (f zero) associated With winds up to 115 km/h. However a roof was torn off a warehouse suggesting winds in the Fujita one range (f1) between 120 to 170 km/h.
Jun.8 17:00 Lucan (north of London)

 F1  UPON REVIEW OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH AN EYEWITNESS. THIS TORNADO'S PATH WAS ABOUT 1 KM LONG AND 10 TO 20 METRES WIDE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS THE TOTAL ROOF REMOVAL OF A SHED. THIS TORNADO IS THE THIRD TORNADO OF THE SEASON SO FAR IN ONTARIO.
Jun.8 18:00 30km east of Sarnia, hwy.402

 F0 THE TORNADO OCCURED ONLY BRIEFLY AND DID NO APPRECIABLE DAMAGE. IT HAS BEEN RATED AS A FUJITA SCALE ZERO TORNADO - PEAK WINDS UP TO 110 KM/H - WHICH IS THE WEAKEST ON THE FUJITA SCALE THAT GOES UP TO 5. FUJITA SCALE 5 TORNADOES HAVE WINDS BETWEEN 420 AND 510 KM/H.
Jun.22 ? NE of Bryanston (near London)

 F0 Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9xa11KC32M
 
PICTURE OF THE MOMENT (email me yours!)  Previous photos here!
Photo by Gregg S. taken in Petawawa, ON - Jun.16, 2008 :