Possible tornado being investigated in Manitoba community
Environment Canada and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is investigating a possible tornado in Binscarth, Man. on Thursday night.
The weather agency said that it doesn’t have sufficient evidence yet to confirm the tornado, but meteorologists are investigating and looking for pictures of the suspected tornado or any damage it may have caused.
This news comes after a strong thunderstorm moved into Manitoba on Thursday night and into Friday morning. During this time, the storm brought large hail to several communities.
According to Environment Canada, Binscarth and Rossburn received baseball-sized hail that in some cases, broke windows and damaged sidings.
Those in Oakburn were hit with hail that ranged in size from golf balls to tennis balls, while Plumas and Clear Lake got toonie-sized hail.
Environment Canada reported that Sandy Lake received quarter-sized hail, and Waywayseecappo got nickel-sized hail.
Along with hail, the storm also brought heavy winds that reached over 100 km/h in some communities.
According to Environment Canada, Pilot Mound got winds as strong as 104 km/h, while in Russell and Clearwater, they reached 91 km/h. Manitou also experienced strong winds that got as fast as 89 km/h.
Those with information about the potential tornado in Binscarth or any severe weather event are asked to call 1-800-239-0484, email mbstorm@ec.gc.ca or tweet with the hashtag #mbstorm.
'IT CAME RIGHT AT US'
Darcy Kowalchuk was at his home in Binscarth when ECCC issued a tornado warning for the community. Weather radar appeared to show the storm would track north of Binscarth, so Kowalchuk went outside to see what was brewing.
That’s when he spotted what looked like a super cell cloud.
“The giant cell seemed to pause and then it made a little turn, and it came right at us. You could see it developing its structure as time went on,” he recalled.
As it approached, he said the wind rapidly switched directions and the temperature changed.
“We prepared to go to the basement,” he said.
Kowalchuk watched the storm pass from the basement window, initially thinking it would miss them.
“Then the hail was at the back end of it,” he said, estimating golf ball to baseball-sized hail fell for almost five minutes.
Golf ball sized hail is pictured in Binscarth, Manitoba following a storm on June 23, 2022. (Twitter photo: Darcy Kowalchuk @DarcyKowalchuk)
The hail made big holes on the siding on the north side of his home, plus it took out a plastic skylight and a camper window.
A second storm later that night bringing heavy rain, wind and lightning didn’t help matters, either.
Kowalchuk said this is the second storm in five days in the area. He filmed them and others over the years and shared them on social media.
“Someone called me a storm chaser and I said, ‘well, that's not correct because I've videoed three weather events from my deck.’ It's not like I'm actually chasing them. They're chasing me,” he laughed.
- With files from CTV’s Tim Salzen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.