PHOTOS: Intense hail, high winds slam Ottawa and eastern Ontario

Digital Writers
·12 min read
PHOTOS: Intense hail, high winds slam Ottawa and eastern Ontario

Another round of severe thunderstorms left behind quite the mess across parts of eastern Ontario and southern Quebec on Friday.

High instability and plenty of wind shear over Ontario and Quebec allowed some of the storms to quickly begin rotating, turning into classic supercell thunderstorms that boosted their ability to produce very large hailstones and a risk for tornadoes.

GET THE LATEST FORECAST: Severe storm threat builds over Ontario and Quebec on Friday

Hail the size of golf balls and larger slammed the National Capital Region between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. as a powerful thunderstorm rolled over the area. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) warned residents that the storm could produce hail up to the size of baseballs for a time on Friday afternoon.

Ottawa’s hail-producing torrent continued east through the late afternoon and prompted multiple tornado warnings in eastern Ontario, including a report of a funnel cloud near Kenmore, Ontario, around 4:20 p.m. local time.

Strong to severe storms will persist throughout the region heading into the afternoon and evening hours before all eyes turn toward an overnight severe storm risk in southwestern Ontario.

Make sure to keep up-to-date on your local forecast information and alerts. If you are outdoors in an area with a severe weather threat, make sure you have a safety plan in place in case you need to get to shelter.

east ON QC friday storm risk July 28 2023
east ON QC friday storm risk July 28 2023

If a severe thunderstorm approaches your location, remain mindful of trees or tree limbs that loom near your home. Trees falling into buildings are a significant source of injury during strong storms. Try to avoid rooms where trees may cause damage during high winds.

The greatest danger in any thunderstorm is lightning. If you can hear thunder, you’re close enough to be struck by lightning.

Residents across the region captured the chaotic scenes as the storms hit on Friday afternoon. Check out some of the compelling photos and videos of this latest round of severe storms, below.

Thumbnail image courtesy of @ottcatty via Twitter.

WATCH: Don’t fall victim to these dangerous tornado myths

Click here to view the video

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