List of tornadoes by province (Canada)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page lists all the confirmed and probable tornadoes which have touched down in Canadian provinces & territories.
Experts have estimated that around 230 tornadoes occur in Canada each year, though only around 60 are formally confirmed.[1] with most occurring in Southern Ontario, the southern Canadian Prairies and southern Quebec. Canada ranks as the second country in the world with the most tornadoes per year, after the United States of America. Of the average 60 confirmed tornadoes each year, Alberta and Saskatchewan both average between 14 and 18 tornadoes per season, followed by Manitoba and Ontario with normally between 8 and 14 tornadoes per season. Quebec is another recognized tornado-prone zone averaging between 4 and 8 tornadoes each year. Atlantic Canada and Interior British Columbia are also recognized tornado zones averaging between 0 and 4 tornadoes each year. The Canadian Territories are not typically seen as tornado-prone regions, however tornadoes can occur in the region. The peak season for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in Canada is in the summer months, although tornadoes in Canada have occurred in spring, fall and very rarely winter.
In Canada, tornadoes are rated based on the damage they cause using a set of "Damage Indicators" which estimate wind speeds based on different levels of damage. Prior to April 1, 2013, the scale used to rate tornadoes in Canada was the Fujita scale. Following this day, Environment Canada started to use the Enhanced Fujita scale.[2] The most common intensities for tornadoes in Canada range between an EF0 to EF2 (F0 to F2) and usually result in minor structural damage to barns, wood fences, roof shingles, uprooted or snapped tree limbs and downed power lines. Tornadoes rated at an EF3 to EF4 (F3 to F4) have occurred in Canada, but are significantly rarer. Canada has only ever seen one EF5 (F5) tornado, which occurred in Elie, Manitoba.
Due to increasing detection (i.e. Doppler weather radar, social media and satellite imagery), the number of confirmed tornadoes have increased substantially in recent years. In past decades, the number of tornadoes officially counted is likely underestimated. The uptick in confirmed tornadoes is also attributed to other factors, such as improved aerial and ground damage assessment after the fact in sparsely populated areas (particularly the case in remote parts of the Canadian Prairies and Northern Ontario, for example), better trained spotter capabilities and increased use of digital recording devices by citizens. In Canada, the Northern Tornadoes Project from Western University has taken over the survey, rating, and confirmation of tornadoes in Canada.[3]
For a variety of reasons, such as Canada's lower population density and generally stronger housing construction due to the colder climate, Canadian tornadoes have historically caused far fewer fatalities than tornadoes in other parts of the world.
Tornadoes in Canada are enough of a threat for a public warning system to be in place, overseen by the national weather agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). With connections between Environment Canada and the Government of Canada, AlertReady is used for the public alerting method for various public hazards.