Tornado warning issued for Peterborough, Lindsay and Kawarthas

Warning follows possible tornado touch down in Barrie, severe thunderstorm warnings issued for most of southern Ontario

Residents in Lindsay, Peterborough and the Kawarthas have received a tornado warning on their phones around 3:30 pm. Environment Canada has issued a tornado warning and severe thunderstorm warning after what is being called “likely a tornado” touched down in Barrie earlier in the afternoon. Thousands of homes have been left without power along with some homes receiving a severe degree of structural damages following the Barrie tornado.

Environment Canada’s tornado warning reads:

Tornado warning in effect for:

• Fenelon Falls – Balsam Lake Park – Northern Kawartha Lakes
• Lindsay – Southern Kawartha Lakes

At 3:30 p.m. EDT, Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm that is possibly producing a tornado. Damaging winds, large hail and locally intense rainfall are also possible.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado is located 5 kilometres west of Argyle, moving east at 70 km/h.

Hazard: Tornado, 110 km/h wind gusts and nickel size hail.

Source: RADAR indicated.

Locations impacted include:
Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Argyle, Eldon, Glenarm, South Bay, Rosedale, Cameron Lake, Sturgeon Point, Sturgeon Lake and Pigeon Lake.

What you should do to protect yourself during a tornado

Take cover immediately, if threatening weather approaches. If you hear a roaring sound or see a funnel cloud, swirling debris near the ground, flying debris, or any threatening weather approaching, take shelter immediately.

Go indoors to a room on the lowest floor, away from outside walls and windows, such as a basement, bathroom, stairwell or interior closet. Leave mobile homes, vehicles, tents, trailers and other temporary or free-standing shelter, and move to a strong building if you can. As a last resort, lie in a low spot and protect your head from flying debris.

Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors!

Tornado warnings are issued when imminent or occurring thunderstorms are likely to produce or are producing tornadoes.

The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management recommends that you take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches.

Meanwhile, severe thunderstorm warning has also been issued for much of southern Ontario including: York-Durham, Grey-Bruce, Barrie-Orollia-Midland, Bancroft, Dufferin-Innisfil, Algonquin, waterloo-Wellington, Huron-Perth, Haliburton, Parry Sound- Muskoka, Renfrew-Pembroke, Barry’s Bay, Smiths Falls-Lanark-Sharbot Lake, Stirling-Tweed-South Frontenac.

Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ONstorm@canada.ca or tweet reports using #ONStorm.

For more information: http://www.emergencymanagementontario.ca/english/beprepared/beprepared.html.

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