July.5 (TWN)-People in parts of Ontario are recovering from a day of wild weather Wednesday. It all began in the morning as a line of severe thunderstorms ahead of a cold front passed through southwestern regions of the province and moved east towards Toronto.
Heavy rain, large hail and strong winds pounded many areas and led to flooding in some places. A few streets were submerged and portions of some roads were washed out.
Several residents reported flooded basements and uprooted trees on their properties. Power lines were also knocked down causing power outages.
While those storms were intense, they were just a warm up. The actual cold front moved through Ontario later in the afternoon packing damaging winds and tornadoes.
Two of several tornadoes in southern Ontario touched down in the towns of Ayr and Arthur. Neither caused damage or injuries, but many Arthur residents were left quite shaken. Five years ago, an F3-4 tornado rumbled through the town damaging a number of homes.
A third tornado touched down in Campbellville near Milton causing damage. The twister uprooted trees, tore the roof from one barn and scattered debris across a wide area.
About 100 motorists came to a standstill on Highway 401 to watch the spectacle, but fortunately no one was injured.
A fourth tornado was confirmed in Argyle, about 120 kilometres northwest of Peterborough, but fortunately caused no damage. Two other tornadoes were reported, one in the west end of Mississauga and the other in Bancroft. Environment Canada says neither have been confirmed.
Investigators will be out later today to survey damage caused by the twisters. Once that is done, the strength of the tornadoes will be determined using the Fujita scale. It measures how strong the winds were according to the damage on the ground.
Hold your cusor over the picture to see the event. Click on it to see the accual radar image.
Statements
UPDATED EXPERIMENTAL ELBOW QPF DISCUSSION.
ISSUED AT 6.10 PM EDT WEDNESDAY 4 JULY, 2001.
SIGNIFICANT TORNADO/SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK CURRENTLY ONGOING IN SOUTHERN
ONTARIO. SEVERAL UNCONFIRMED AND A FEW CONFIRMED TORNADO REPORTS FROM
CANWARN SPOTTERS. MOST OF THE SUPERCELLS HAD DEVELOPED ALONG THE
SOUTHWESTERN ENDS OF LINES OF CONVECTION FOCUSSED BY LAKE-BREEZE BOUNDARIES.
AT 21Z...THE COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM NORTH BAY TO SAGINAW BAY TO EXTREME
SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN, AND A PRE-FRONTAL PRESSURE TROUGH WAS LOCATED FROM
SOUTH OF LAKE SIMCOE TO SOUTH OF ST. THOMAS. SURFACE BASED CAPE AROUND 2500
J/KG AND STORM RELATIVE HELICITY NEAR 200 METRES SQUARED PER SECOND SQUARED
ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR CONTINUED
SUPERCELLS AND POSSIBLE TORNADIC STORMS FOR THE NEXT ONE TO TWO HOURS UNTIL
IT MOVES SOUTHEASTWARD OUT OF THE REGION.
END/BRIAN MURPHY
TORNADO WARNING
ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA. REGIONAL CENTRE TORONTO ONTARIO.
7.43 PM EDT WEDNESDAY 4 JULY 2001.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UPGRADED TO TORNADO WARNING FOR..
REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF HALTON
SOUTHERN REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF PEEL.
STORM SPOTTERS HAVE SIGHTED ONE POSSIBLY TWO TORNADOES TOUCHING
DOWN IN THE BURLINGTON TO MILTON AREA. ONE IS REPORTED TO BE
A SIZABLE TORNADO. MOTION IS SOUTHEAST AROUND 30 KM/H. TAKE
SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
TORNADO WARNING ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA. REGIONAL CENTRE TORONTO ONTARIO. 5.34 PM EDT WEDNESDAY 4 JULY 2001. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UPGRADED TO TORNADO WARNING FOR.. HAMILTON BRANT COUNTY. TORNADO WARNING ISSUED FOR.. EASTERN HALDIMAND AND NORFOLK COUNTIES REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF NIAGARA. A STORM SPOTTER HAS SIGHTED A TORNADO NEAR ST GEORGE AT 5:20 PM. MOTION IS TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 60 KM/H. THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE HAMILTON AREA BY 6 PM. IT MAY ALSO GRAZE EASTERN HALDIMAND-NORFOLK AND NIAGARA COUNTIES AS WELL.
TORNADO WARNING ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA. REGIONAL CENTRE TORONTO ONTARIO. 4.03 PM EDT WEDNESDAY 4 JULY 2001. TORNADO WARNING ISSUED FOR.. NORTHERN REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF YORK REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF DURHAM. DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR AT 3:50 PM INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO JUST SOUTH OF LAKE SIMCOE. MOTION IS SOUTHEASTWARDS AT 60 KM/H AND IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE LAKE SCUGOG AREA BY 4:30 PM. TORNADO WARNING ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA. REGIONAL CENTRE TORONTO ONTARIO. 2.39 PM EDT WEDNESDAY 4 JULY 2001.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UPGRADED TO TORNADO WARNING FOR.. KAWARTHA LAKES PETERBOROUGH COUNTY. A TORNADO HAS BEEN REPORTED NEAR ARGYLE AT 2:30 PM. MOTION IS EAST AROUND 60 KM/H AND WILL AFFECT AREAS NEAR BOBCAYGEON AT 3:15 AND BUCKHORN BY 3:30 PM.
TORNADO WARNING ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA. REGIONAL CENTRE TORONTO ONTARIO. 3.38 PM EDT WEDNESDAY 4 JULY 2001. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UPGRADED TO TORNADO WARNING FOR.. LAMBTON COUNTY WESTERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY. TORNADO WARNING ISSUED FOR.. ELGIN COUNTY. DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR AT 3:30 PM INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO APPROACHING PETROLIA. MOTION IS SOUTHEASTWARDS AT 60 KM/H AND IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT GLENCOE BY 4 PM THEN NEAR DUTTON BY 4:15 PM.
Watches & Warnings
Way too many to put down right now... I'll get the exact number later!
Reports
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK ACROSS
SOUTHERN ONTARIO ON WEDNESDAY JULY 4.
SARNIA..(9 AM)....................MARBLE-SIZED HAIL
WEST TORONTO..(NEAR MIDDAY).......POSSIBLE TORNADO IN MISSISSAUGA
TORONTO ISLAND (EARLY AFTERNOON)..HOVERCRAFT REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD
TORONTO CITY CENTRE AIRPORT..(1.20 PM)... 89 KM/H WIND GUSTS
TORONTO CITY CENTRE AIRPORT..(TO 2 PM)... 31 MM RAIN IN 1.5 HOURS
ELMIRA (11.15 AM).................GOLF BALL-SIZED HAIL
ACTON..(11.40 AM).................GOLF BALL-SIZED HAIL
CAMBRIDGE..(LATE MORNING).........GOLF BALL-SIZED HAIL
GUELPH..(NEAR NOON)...............1.5 INCH HAIL WITH 6 INCH
HAIL DRIFTS ALONG ROADS..AND LOCAL FLOODING
FERGUS..(EARLY AFTERNOON).........QUARTER SIZED HAIL
ELMIRA..(EARLY AFTERNOON).........FLOODED ROADS
NEAR BANCROFT...(2:30 PM).........2.3 CM HAIL
WEST OF BANCROFT NEAR HIGHLAND GROVE...(2:30 PM)..UNCONFIRMED
TORNADO WITH HYDRO POLES AND TREES DOWN
ARGYLE (2:45PM)...................TORNADO REPORTED
SARNIA (3 PM).....................MARBLE-SIZED HAIL
SARNIA (AFTER 3 PM)...............TREES AND POWER LINES DOWNED
SARNIA AREA (AFTER 3 PM)..........QUARTER-SIZED HAIL
PETROLIA (3:30 PM)................STRONG ROTATION ON DOPPLER RADAR
BUT NO CONFIRMED TORNADO
SOUTH OF LAKE SIMCOE (4 PM).......STRONG ROTATION ON DOPPLER RADAR
WITH LONG-LIVED WALL CLOUDS ASSOCIATED
BARRIE (3:10 PM)..................NICKEL-SIZED HAIL
REGIONAL RD 30 IN PETERBOROUGH AREA..(MID AFTERNOON)..FUNNEL CLOUD
WITH BARN ROOF LIFTED OFF...SILO SHEARED OFF.
SHELBURNE..(4:30 PM)...............MARBLE-SIZED HAIL
REGIONAL RD 30/DURHAM 15 (DURHAM REGION)..(4 PM)..MARBLE-SIZED HAIL
ARTHUR..(5 PM).....................TORNADO SIGHTED
AYR (SOUTH OF CAMBRIDGE)..(5 PM)...TORNADO SIGHTED THEN LIFTED
AND TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN NEAR ST GEORGE WEST OF HAMILTON
CAMPBELLVILLE/MILTON..(7:45 PM)....TORNADO LIFTED PARTIAL ROOF OFF
BARN
...AND DOWNED NUMEROUS TREES WITH DEBRIS TOSSED ABOUT
...REPORTEDLY 100 CARS STOPPED ON HWY 401 NEAR MILTON WATCHING
TORNADO
Confirmed Tornadoes
ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA. REGIONAL CENTRE TORONTO ONTARIO.
10.52 PM EDT THURSDAY 5 JULY 2001.
...SOUTHERN ONTARIO TORNADO SUMMARY FROM THE 4TH OF JULY...
FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE LOCATION OF TORNADOES AND DAMAGE FROM
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED BY TWO COLD FRONTS THAT SWEPT ACROSS
SOUTHERN ONTARIO ON THE 4TH OF JULY.
TORNADO LOCATION TIME LOCATION
MISSISSAUGA NEAR NOON NO DAMAGE REPORTS
ARGYLE 2.30 PM F0 DAMAGE - TORNADO SIGHTED
BANCROFT 2.30 PM UNCONFIRMED TORNADO
HYDRO LINES/TREES DOWN
FENELON FALLS 2.45 PM F1 DAMAGE - SILO KNOCKED DOWN
A RTHUR 4.55 PM TORNADO CONFIRMED ON GROUND
BY CANWARN STORM SPOTTER
UNKNOWN DAMAGE
AYR TO ST GEORGE 5.00 PM F0 DAMAGE
-5.30 PM
CAMPBELLVILLE 7.25 PM F0 DAMAGE - VIDEO FOOTAGE
- PART OF ROOF RIPPED OFF
- TREES DOWN
