A potential tornado caused significant destruction on Tuesday afternoon near Harrington, in the Laurentians region. Following a day of multiple intense thunderstorms, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has stated that the worst of the weather has passed.
Reports indicated a tornado signature was spotted from Bell Falls to Lake Macdonald between 5:24 p.m. and 5:42 p.m. A severe thunderstorm warning, including the possibility of tornadoes, had been in effect since earlier in the day.
ECCC meteorologist Dominic Martel mentioned that the tornado is suspected to have shifted a house, devastated a small forested area, and toppled Hydro-Québec power poles as it moved through.
Martel further explained, “The power outage map aligns perfectly with the path of rotation we observed on radar. We will conduct further investigations and share our findings, but it is highly likely that it was indeed a tornado.”
The weather conditions settled down by Tuesday evening, with most regions of Quebec no longer under severe thunderstorm watches.
Martel reassured, “There are no longer any significant storm threats; a few isolated ones remain in the St. Lawrence Valley, near Montreal, and in the Pontiac area, but they do not pose a major concern at the moment. The primary threat has subsided for the day.”
