PHOTOS: CN Tower celebrates 45 years of weathering Toronto
Saturday, June 26 marked the 45th birthday of one of Canada's most prominent landmarks -- which has experienced the good and bad side of Mother Nature on many occasions over the years.
Toronto, Ont.'s most iconic tower has endured a lot of stormy and gorgeous weather since it first became a staple in the city's skyline in 1976.
The CN Tower, at 553.33 metres high, was once the world's tallest free-standing structure.
Saturday, June 26 marked its 45 birthday, and with that, The Weather Network revisited some of the most picturesque visuals of the structure encountering some of Mother Nature's most beautiful and dangerous effects.
Over the decades of standing tall in Toronto, the tower has seen plenty of scary clouds and eclipses, and has been hit numerous times by lightning and even significant ice buildup, which led to a chunk falling off and hitting a pedestrian on the head during a storm.
Fact: The top of the CN Tower can withstand wind speeds of up to 420 km/h, equivalent to an EF-5 tornado, and has the strength and flexibility to weather a magnitude 8.5 earthquake.
Below is a just selection of some of the most striking weather moments in its history.
Thumbnail courtesy of Seena Zai.
Nathan Howes can be followed on Twitter: @HowesNathan.
