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Multiple tornadoes have been confirmed in Manitoba and Saskatchewan after a stormy Sunday on the Prairies, according to Environment Canada and the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).
NTP confirmed a tornado touched down in Maryfield, Sask., on Sunday, said Dylan Painchaud-Niemi, a research meteorologist with the project. Maryfield is located slightly more than 250 km east of Regina.
“There was a line of storms that formed in the late morning and afternoon hours in Saskatchewan, they pushed towards the Manitoba border. And then a few other storms were formed just in front of that line,” he told Global News, noting that it triggered tornado warnings for potentially affected areas.
“(The weather) was conducive for tornado development, and one did produce.”
The twister landed five km south of the community around 4 p.m. Sunday, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
A NTP team is also investigating reports of a tornado approximately 45 km away, in Kelso, Sask., along with other areas that were hit by the storm.
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In Manitoba, at least two tornadoes occurred on Sunday, Dave Phillips, a senior climatologist with ECCC told 680 CJOB Monday morning.
The agency said twisters touched down more than 300 km west of Winnipeg, in Kola, Man. and Elkhorn, Man. The province has seen more tornado activity than average this summer, with at least 11 confirmed tornados thus far — compared to the usual annual total of seven or eight, Phillips said.
Painchaud-Niemi said a team started tracking the Manitoba system after being notified there was a chance of tornadoes.
“We knew there was some severe weather potential, as well as some of our local meteorologists warned us that there was something that was going to occur,” he recalled.
“Then there were some storms that popped up near the border with Manitoba, and then those ended up producing some tornadoes.”
NTP received reports of damage from the Manitoban side of the border, but none have been reported from Saskatchewan, said Painchaud-Niemi.
Environment Canada’s senior climatologist said this summer’s heat and humidity added to the stormy weather.
“If you look at the Prairies, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, we’ve had a record number of tornadoes,” Phillips said, noting ECCC’s records on that topic are limited to about the last 10 years when technology allowed round-the-clock monitoring. Before that, he said, tracking twisters was hit or miss.
“We’ve had, I think, in total, 77 tornadoes this year on the Prairies,” Phillips said. “That’s certainly the most number of tornadoes you’ve had in that last, say eight, or nine, (or) 10 years.”
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