Wild weekend weather causes storm damage, flash flooding

The heatwave in Eastern Canada may have eased this weekend, but the storms that heralded the end of the hot, humid weather in Ontario and Quebec weren't finished, as they caused even more damages through New Brunswick on Saturday night.

Environment Canada officials in New Brunswick are investigating reports of a possible tornado today after a powerful storm tore through east of Fredericton. While the weather service can't confirm whether or not a tornado is actually to blame without surveying the damage site in person, Alex Haché captured video that makes a convincing argument that a twister was involved at least somewhere in the storm.

The cold front that spawned the storms was also responsible for stormy weather over Ontario and Quebec last week, where some are still waiting for their power to be restored.

[ Related: Power outages still plague Ontario, Quebec after storms ]

The Maritime provinces can look forward to more moderate temperatures this week, but the change in air mass comes with a price to pay for some. Whether or not Environment Canada confirms a tornado is to blame, numerous residents in central New Brunswick will have to waste at least a little of the nicer weather doing some major clean-up.

Residents of the Prairies had their own storms to deal with over the weekend, including at least one tornado touchdown in southwestern Manitoba on Sunday.

Another cold front was to blame for the severe storms that sprung up across southern Alberta on Saturday, and Saskatchewan and Manitoba on Sunday; not at all an uncommon location for such storms in mid-July. Each year, an average of about 43 tornadoes occur across the Prairies, and July is smack dab in the middle of the peak season for them.

The front first sparked storms in Alberta, generating heavy downpours and large hail, as snapped by storm chaser Braydon Morisseau.

Storm chasers and weather enthusiasts were out in force, capturing the storms' progress across southern Manitoba on Sunday.

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While some Manitobans encountered localized flooding with their storms, heavy rains wreaked havoc well south of the border in Arizona. Several parts of the state, including Canadian snowbird-favorites Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson, were drenched over the weekend by storms that triggered flash flooding.

Flash flooding isn't uncommon at this time of year for the Grand Canyon State, as July marks the return of the North American monsoon in the southwestern U.S.

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