Environment Canada says more tornados are on the way for southern Manitoba. Officials say warm temperatures and humidity are the perfect conditions for spawning a twister. Saturday's tornado was the third one reported this year. Last week two twisters were spotted, one near Altona and one near Rosa.

Officials say twister season is typically between June and July, and is most severe in July. On average Manitoba sees between seven and ten tornados each year.

The tornado that touched down just east of Otterburne Saturday was visible for kilometers around. It was a land spout, which is a weaker tornado that forms from mild thunderstorms.

It happened just before 5:00 p.m. Saturday, and stayed on the ground for eight minutes.

RCMP Const. Paul Manaigre, of St. Pierre-Jolys, says initially he got calls that the tornado had hit Providence Bible College. The funnel cloud actually touched down in a nearby field, just west of Hwy 59 and Hwy 303.

Manaigre says the base of the tornado was about 20 m wide.

"We could see it from the back door of our office," he told CTV News. "The storm that [the funnel cloud] came from was already east of the area. There were blue skies all around. It seemed to come off the back end of the clouds, and reach back west. It looked just like a tail."

The tornado stayed inside the field and didn't cause much in the way of property damage. No one was injured.

Niverville resident Sarah Hunt captured the tornado's touchdown on video from her deck. Originally from Tornado Alley in the U.S., she says it wasn't like any tornado she had ever experienced. She says it appeared out of nowhere.

"There were no warning signs whatsoever," she told CTV News. "There was no major winds, no hail, no rain, no green skies. Nothing."

Environment Canada says it is not surprising the land spout appeared without warning. They say this type of tornados is slow moving and difficult to track with radar. Officials also say the destructive power associated with this type of tornado is usually felt over a very small area.

Click here to see Sarah Hunts home video

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Environment Canada says that while tornadoes damage a relatively small area, they present an extremely dangerous threat with strong winds and flying debris.

It's important to make plans ahead of time on where you will shelter in your home, and what basic steps you should take to protect your home and family from harm if there is a tornado threat.

Here is what Public Safety Canada, a branch of the federal government, recommends:

If you are in a house

  • Go to the basement or take shelter in a small interior ground floor room such as a bathroom, closet or hallway.
  • If you have no basement, protect yourself by taking shelter under a heavy table or desk.
  • In all cases, stay away from windows, outside walls and doors.

If you live on a farm

  • Livestock hear and sense impending tornadoes. If your family or home is at risk, the livestock will be a non-issue. If your personal safety is not an issue, you may only have time to open routes of escape for your livestock. Open the gate, if you must, and then exit the area in a tangent direction away from the expected path of the twister.

If you are in an office or apartment building

  • Take shelter in an inner hallway or room, ideally in the basement or on the ground floor.
  • Do not use the elevator.
  • Stay away from windows.

If you are in a gymnasium, church or auditorium

  • Large buildings with wide-span roofs may collapse if a tornado hits.
  • If possible, find shelter in another building.
  • If you are in one of these buildings and cannot leave, take cover under a sturdy structure such as a table or desk.

Avoid cars and mobile homes

  • More than half of all deaths from tornadoes happen in mobile homes.
  • Find shelter elsewhere, preferably in a building with a strong foundation.
  • If no shelter is available, lie down in a ditch away from the car or mobile home. Beware of flooding from downpours and be prepared to move.

If you are driving

  • If you spot a tornado in the distance go to the nearest solid shelter.
  • If the tornado is close, get out of your car and take cover in a low-lying area, such as a ditch.

In all cases

  • Get as close to the ground as possible, protect your head and watch for flying debris.
  • Do not chase tornadoes - they are unpredictable and can change course abruptly.
  • A tornado is deceptive. It may appear to be standing still but is, in fact, moving toward you.