Environment Canada ended a Niagara Falls tornado warning around 1 p.m. on Sunday after issuing it at 12:26 p.m. for Niagara Falls, Thorold, Queenston and Virgil. The alert covered four Niagara communities and lasted less than an hour.
Environment Canada said meteorologists were tracking a severe thunderstorm in those areas that could possibly produce a tornado. Localized heavy rainfall and thunderstorms also plagued much of Niagara on Sunday, and the agency had predicted 50 to 80 mm of rain by the evening.
Niagara Falls, Thorold, Queenston and Virgil
The warning applied to residents in Niagara Falls, Thorold, Queenston and Virgil, where the strongest weather concern was a thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado. Environment Canada says tornado warnings are issued when a thunderstorm is producing or is likely to produce one, which is why the alert was sent before the threat passed.
For people in those communities, the practical step was immediate shelter when threatening weather approached. Environment Canada advised taking cover in a basement, an interior room or a sturdy shelter.
July 27 storm in St. Catharines
The Sunday warning came just days after a July 27 storm that hit St. Catharines and left 138 mm of rain in Port Dalhousie and 126 mm in Port Weller within a few hours. That recent total gave another reference point for how quickly intense rain can build in the region.
By Sunday evening, Environment Canada was still forecasting 50 to 80 mm of rainfall, and Monday’s outlook called for a mixture of sun and cloud with a high of 25C. For residents who spent part of Sunday watching the sky, the change meant the tornado threat had eased, but the rain forecast remained in place.
