Alberta tornado was Canada's first EF-2 of 2025, officials find
No injuries were reported
An EF-2 tornado touched down in Alberta on Wednesday evening as severe thunderstorms developed over the province.
The tornado touched down near Drayton Valley, which is a town of about 7,000 residents located roughly 100 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.
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Photo courtesy of Matt Melnyk.
Experts with the Northern Tornadoes Project confirmed the tornado and found that it produced EF-2 damage on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The twister's estimated maximum winds were 190 km/h, and it remained on the ground for a little over 3 kilometres.
Forecasters with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a tornado warning for the region as the storm moved through on Wednesday evening.
Tornado season is well underway across Canada. Alberta averages about 11 twisters per year. The storm near Drayton Valley was the province’s fourth tornado so far in 2025, and the country's first EF-2 tornado of the year.
Header image of the likely tornado courtesy of Matt Melnyk.