Two tornadoes confirmed in Ontario after impactful severe storms
Damaging thunderstorms swept through portions of southern Ontario this past week, producing two confirmed tornadoes
Two confirmed tornadoes contributed to widespread damage around London, Ont. during a round of severe thunderstorms that swept through the region on Tuesday, May 19.
The event prompted widespread severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings throughout the region, with high winds toppling trees and severing electricity to tens of thousands of homes and businesses at one point.
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Two tornadoes confirmed in London
Crews with Western University’s Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) have spent several days surveying wind damage around the London area.
The first confirmed tornado was an EF-0 that struck near the small community of Christina, a little more than 20 km southwest of London.
A second confirmed tornado produced EF-1 damage that stretched along a path from Lambeth to Mossley, a track which included southern portions of London.
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Officials with the NTP previously confirmed that wind damage in East London was the result of a downburst that produced gusts as high as 145 km/h.
The twisters that struck southern Ontario this past week bring Canada’s total tornado count up to 10 for the year. This count includes Ontario’s two tornadoes, as well as eight landspouts confirmed on the Prairies.
An average year produces around 65 tornadoes across the country, with a little more than one-quarter of those tornadoes touching down in Ontario.