The Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) has confirmed that a minor EF0 tornado hit the northwestern part of Toronto on September 2, causing damage to Rogers Stadium and nearby homes. Following a ground survey in the Downsview area of North York, the NTP concluded that a downburst with wind speeds up to 125 km/h caused a seven-kilometer path of destruction. The worst damage was reported at the outdoor concert venue.
Although there were some reports of storm damage in Brampton and Woodbridge, the NTP did not find enough evidence to confirm events in those areas. The storm, described as a hail-generating supercell with strong outflow, later produced two weak tornadoes in New York.
The severe storm brought heavy rain and large hail to Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, leading to flooding on the Don Valley Parkway and widespread power outages. Drone footage from CityNews revealed the aftermath with twisted metal and debris scattered across the 50,000-capacity venue.
As a result of the damage, Live Nation had to cancel the scheduled AC/DC concert, the final event planned at the stadium for the year. The city issued an unsafe building order, mandating Live Nation to provide an engineering report outlining the necessary repairs and a timeline for the work. Parts of the stadium may need to be reconstructed.
Founded in 2017 at Western University, the NTP’s mission is to enhance tornado detection across Canada, advance understanding and prediction of severe weather, protect people and property from harm, and explore the implications of climate change on future weather events.
