Tornado watch issued for eastern, central Alberta as thunderstorms expected
Environment Canada said conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms which may produce tornadoes late Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Severe thunderstorm watches were also issued for a broader area, as strong winds with gusts of up to 90 km/h, large hail of two to four cm and heavy rain are possible for much of eastern and northern Alberta.
The national weather agency said most of the thunderstorms would be non-severe, with an exception of areas near the Saskatchewan border where supercell formation could occur.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Albertans are advised to be prepared for severe weather and take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches.
In the event of a tornado, or if a tornado warning is issued for your area, Environment Canada recommends you take the following actions: Go indoors to a room on the lowest floor possible, away from outside walls and windows, such as a basement, bathroom, stairwell or interior closet.
Story continues below advertisement
Leave mobile homes, vehicles, tents, trailers and other temporary or free-standing shelter, and move to a stronger, more permanent building if you can.
'As a last resort, lie in a low spot and protect your head from flying debris,' the alert said.
As of 1 p.m. MT, nearly three dozen communities and rural areas were included in the tornado watch, which was also sent out in an Alberta Emergency Alert:
Alliance
Amisk
Beaver County
Chauvin
Czar
Dewberry
Edgerton
Flagstaff County
Hardisty
Hughenden
Innisfree
Irma
Killam
Kitscoty
Lloydminster
Lougheed
Makaoo (Part) 120
Mannville
Marwayne
Minburn
Minburn County No. 27
Myrnam
Paradise Valley
Provost
Provost No. 52
Sedgewick
Two Hills
Two Hills County No. 21
Vermilion
Vermilion River County No. 24
Viking
Wainwright
Wainwright No. 61
The list above is subject to change as the weather does, so Albertans are advised to download the Alberta Emergency Alert app and keep an eye on weather notifications in their area.
Tornado watches are issued when atmospheric conditions are favourable for the development of thunderstorms that could produce tornadoes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
11 minutes ago
- CBC
Heat warning issued for Toronto as temperature, humidity soars
Toronto residents are in store for yet another round of soaring temperatures from Sunday to Tuesday, Environment Canada says. The federal weather agency issued a heat warning Sunday, which says daytime high temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30s, but could feel closer to 40 C after humidity is factored in. The evenings won't provide much relief with temperature lows expected around 19 to 23 C. The hottest conditions are expected on Monday, Environment Canada says, but there is "some uncertainty" how long the heat could last for some regions. People are advised to drink water often, watch for signs of heat exhaustion and to check on those at-risk for heat illnesses, said the weather agency. It also suggests wearing light-colored clothing and limiting exposure to the heat. Signs of heat stroke can include red and hot skin, dizziness and nausea. Over 500 spaces across Toronto are available for residents looking for relief during a heat warning, including the following air-conditioned facilities: North York Civic Centre Scarborough Civic Centre Etobicoke Civic Centre York Civic Centre East York Community Centre Metro Hall lobby The buildings will be open until 9:30 p.m. every day that a warning is in effect, with the exception of the Metro Hall lobby which is open 24 hours a day.
CBC
11 minutes ago
- CBC
'The whole house was shaking,' Huron County woman recalls close call with tornado
Parts of Huron County received a chilling reminder of nature's destructive power on Saturday evening after a possible tornado blew through part of the region between Bayfield and Goderich. On Sunday, residents and visitors in the area who witnessed the storm told CBC News they were simultaneously shocked and amazed by the event. Deborah Caira had a front row seat to the chaos, but said the calm before the storm was one of the most surprising parts of her experience. "We sat down to have dinner, and all of a sudden, my mom was like, 'You need to get to your safe place.' I said, 'It's all clear and sunny outside,'" Caira said. "Sure enough, I looked outside, and I saw this cloud formation rotating, coming toward us." Jun. 30 tornado touched down in Lucan, north of London Multiple businesses and locals near the tornado's path reported a similar calm, with some not even knowing about the event until hours later. Environment Canada said preliminary reports suggest the twister, which has not yet been assigned a severity rating, formed over Lake Huron before making landfall. An initial tornado warning was issued for the marine region shortly after 6 p.m., and the tornado made landfall closer to 7 p.m., a meteorologist said. Barely more than half an hour later and 27 kilometres from the lake's shoreline, Caira was caught in what looked like it could be a fight for her life. "We got inside, and probably two minutes later, it hit us, and I mean it hit us. The doors were shaking on their hinges. The whole house was shaking. It felt like it was over 100 kilometres an hour," Caira said, noting her home near Blyth, Ont., does not have a basement. "We took cover in the centre hallway in the house, and within a minute it was over." After the tornado passed, Caira said she watched it rip into a field behind her property before dissipating. The tornado caused serious damage to trees on the property, but left her house mostly unscathed. "We were just blown away with the size of the [tree] limbs that were down throughout our backyard and behind our house. It looks like it cut right across the corner of our property, and tossed my vegetable stand, which is probably four or 500 pounds, into the driveway, face down," Caira said. The vegetable stand, which she sells produce from, landed centimetres away from her vehicle. The tornado also destroyed a 150-year-old maple tree nearby, she said. Nearby Goderich, as well as other parts of Huron County, were the site of an intense tornado in 2011 that killed one person, injured 37, and caused $130 million in damages. That, and other historic tornadoes in the region, mean Caira and her neighbours are aware of what can happen, and are thankful it wasn't worse, she said. Powerful tornado kills man in Goderich, Ontario On its way to what could have been its final stopping point near Caira's property, the tornado hit a local campground, according to a representative from the business. The extent of the damage it caused is unclear. Closer to the shoreline, Niagara region videographer Tom Elgersma was on his way to visit family members in Goderich when he saw what looked like a funnel cloud. He pulled over to film it, and captured what appears to be a tornado weakening, almost dissipating, and then roaring back to life. "You're standing there, in awe, filming it, and you're also trying to keep in mind that it could change direction and start coming toward you," Elgersma said, calling the experience terrifying but fascinating all at once. His video was among dozens of pieces of media posted to social media groups designed to document and warn of extreme weather events as they're happening. People in the region have come to depend on the groups for information, especially since official tornado warnings sometimes come after the tornado itself has dissipated. "I think [these groups are] a good idea. They can give people updated situations and information from people who are on the ground," he said. Currently, a team from Western University's Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) is investigating the tornado with the hope of documenting it, determining its path and giving it an EF rating, which is determined by how much damage it caused. It's not the only severe weather event in this corner of Ontario in the past few days. The NTP recorded an EF-1 downburst in Mitchell, in the Municipality of West Perth, which happened on Thursday. The Mitchell downburst, the NTP's official notes say, damaged several barns, power poles, trees and crops. It had an estimated maximum wind speed of 150 km/h.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Environment Canada issues heat warning for southern Ontario and Quebec
Montreal's air quality dropped to worst in the world on July 26, 2025, as wildfire smoke from the prairies drifted into the city. (Daniel J. Rowe/CTV News) Environment Canada says a multi-day heat event for parts of Ontario and Quebec is set to begin on Sunday with a humidex that will make it feel like it's as high as 42 C. The weather agency issued the heat warning on Saturday afternoon, saying people can expect daytime highs ranging between 30 and 34 C. It says overnight low temperatures are expected to range between 19 and 23 C, providing little relief from the heat. The heat wave is expected in all of southern Ontario along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and across a stretch of Quebec to the Trois-Rivières area. It's yet another heat warning for Ontario this summer, where last month temperature records in many parts of the province were broken during an extreme heat wave. During heat warnings, people are advised to drink water often, watch for signs of heat exhaustion and to check on older adults and those at risk of heat illness. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2025.
