'Thin but destructive': Tornado hits Canada's Saskatchewan area
Perfect storm
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), three tornadoes emerged from a storm system that swept through central Saskatchewan on Tuesday night.
The warning
On June 15, Environment Canada issued a tornado warning.
According to the weather agency, this was to replace severe thunderstorm warnings in the areas of rural municipalities of Kindersley, which includes the town of Kindersley, Brock and Flaxcombe.
Calm before the storm
Some of the citizens inside the tornado warning area took to Twitter, showing the perfect, tranquil weather, just before the storm hit.
I guess everything does get really go calm before a storm.
Rope Tornado
The tornado that hit after the storm was described by witnesses as thin and white, and curved on its way down — something that in weather circles, is known as a rope tornado.
What to do when a tornado hits?
Most of us must've seen the movies made on this natural calamity. Can you guess the name of a movie?
Bingo, it's Tornado.
Now what should you do if you are in place of the protagonists of the movie i.e., if you're caught in a tornado?
Government of Canada's website 'getprepared.gc.ca' suggests:
- 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.
Remember life is not a movie, and be safe.
Thin, but destructive
Just because a tornado is thin doesn't mean it's not powerful. Since the area where it hit had loads of open spaces, the damage was comparatively less but still pretty significant. There were power outages and several properties were also damaged.
According to reports, other parts of the province sustained storm weather too. Prince Albert police were warning of downed trees and power line damage due to the storm.
The severe weather this morning has caused down trees and localized flooding in many parts of the city.
— Prince Albert Police (@PAPOLICEca) June 16, 2021
If you plan on driving today, please be cautious and plan more time to get to your destination. #slowdown https://t.co/eFTbSH4p35
Prime tornado season
Canada is one of the worst-hit countries plagued by these storms. With June and July being the "prime tornado season" in Saskatchewan, it is important to keep safety in mind.
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