Weekend weather action could have been a weak tornado
Jul 13, 2009 - 01:06 PM
By Crystal Crimi
DURHAM -- A weak tornado or down burst may have been responsible for the damaging effects of a brief but intense storm July 11, according to Environment Canada.
The storm, which included hail and wind speeds of up to 100-115 kilometres, hit the Oshawa/Whitby/Courtice area around 7 p.m. and downed dozens of trees. Environment Canada may send someone to the Park Road area to look at the damage first-hand, said Geoff Coulson, warning preparedness meteorologist.
"We're still in the process of trying to track down people who may have seen the event to get a better sense of how the damage is laid out," Mr. Coulson said.
A down burst is a big gust of wind that acts like a plow and pushes matter in one general direction, whereas a tornado would toss material more chaotically and have trees down in different directions, Mr. Coulson said.
"A number of trees went down in Lakeview Park in Oshawa; the metal roof was taken off a portable along this area ... Park Road north of the 401 in the Oshawa area," Mr. Coulson said.
Thunderstorms bracketed the day Saturday with storms coming through the morning across southern Ontario, then a lull in the afternoon during which time storm clouds reformed and took action in the evening. Its effects were localized, Mr. Coulson said.
Storm season in Canada generally goes from late April to early October. This season started pretty slow, but since late June there has been an increase in Ontario, including a fatal tornado in northwestern Ontario last week, which had peak wind speeds between 180 and 240 kilometres.
On average Ontario gets about 120 damaging storms a year, with 70 of them being down bursts, 20 hail, 20 heavy rain and flooding, and 11 tornados, Mr. Coulson said.
He reminded people to keep an eye on the sky and weather reports so they can get to shelter during thunderstorms.
If the sky goes very dark and thunder can be heard, then lightning is close enough to be dangerous, Mr. Coulson said. He recommended taking shelter in a solid basement, or, if in a high-rise building, in the washroom, closet, or building hallway, to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
Even after a storm is over and the sky is clear, people should wait 30 minutes after hearing the last sound of thunder because lightning may still be occurring, Mr. Coulson said.
In Canada, about 10 people die a year from lightning, while 100 to 150 are injured from it, which often causes life-long effects, such as chronic pain and personality changes.
Thunderstorms generally occur in warmer weather, which would have helped fuel Saturday's activity, Mr. Coulson said.
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