July storms leave trail of three EF2 tornadoes in Ontario
A strong cold front produced unusual twisters in northeastern Ontario, with wind gusts reaching 215 km/h.
Environment and Climate Change Canada confirmed that three EF2 tornadoes struck northeastern Ontario on July 12, following a severe series of storms.
The strongest of the three struck near Trethewey Lake, with wind gusts of 215 km/h and a travel distance of more than 11 kilometres.
Crane Creek was slammed by 190 km/h winds south of Elk Lake, while a third tornado tore across nearly 10 kilometres of land near Tarzwell. Damage was also recorded north of Englehart.
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A front with force
So, what triggered this peculiar occurrence? According to experts, a powerful cold front passing through northeastern Ontario provided the ideal storm conditions.
Severe cells formed ahead of it, resulting in the first two tornadoes, while the Tarzwell twister emerged from a single storm cell.
Despite their violent nature, these tornadoes were part of a quieter-than-usual season. This year, Canada has had far fewer tornadoes than expected.
Typically, the country has some of the greatest totals in the world after the U.S., owing to clashing air masses, distinct geography and a jet stream that drives volatile summer weather.
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Tracking Canada's tornado season
Tornado season in Canada usually runs from mid-April to mid-September.
Recent years have seen a wide range of tornadoes: the National Tornado Project confirmed 129 in 2024, 90 in 2023 and 131 in 2022, including those over water.
With the events of July, Ontario was reminded that, while tornadoes are not as common here as they are on the U.S. Plains, they are nonetheless a tremendous force capable of transforming an average summer storm into a disastrous weather event in a matter of minutes.