Major lull in Quebec's tornado season this year, possible first in 10 years
Quebec is looking at a possible 10-year record, with a major lull in the active weather season and lack of tornadoes reported since July
The summer season is quickly nearing its end, with the threat for severe thunderstorms becoming more sporadic, as well. Although it's not impossible to still see the chance for severe conditions, including tornadoes, last into the fall season, it certainly does become more rare as the cooler weather isn't as ripe.
One thing is clear looking back on the season as a whole however, and that's the number of tornadoes, or lack thereof, that were recorded in Quebec this year.
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As of mid-September, the last tornado reported in the province was back on July, 24, with a rare and abrupt lull in the stormy conditions throughout the entire month of August. The results are similar on a national scale with a much quieter season overall, aside from Ontario, which has reported a total of 28 tornadoes when the annual average is typically closer to 18.
If this trend continues in Quebec, and no other tornadoes occur in the province this year, this would be the first time since 2014 that no tornado has formed for the region in August or later.
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Four main events this year
The majority of the tornadoes in Quebec this year have happened over only a couple of days. The first tornado of the year was back on May 27, causing damage near the Ontario border. That was followed by two days of severe weather, which saw a total of 10 tornadoes in Quebec -- six on June 13, and four on July 24. Otherwise, only one other tornado hit the region this year, and that occurred on July 17.
The number of tornado events recorded this season certainly make for a relatively quiet year, though it still sits above the yearly average of 10 for the province. In recent years however, 2017, 2018 and 2022 all stand out as much more severe with 33, 31 and 26 tornadoes reported, respectively. These active years also coincide with the start of the Northern Tornadoes project (NTP), which launched at Western University in 2017, a program that has been using new tools to try and report every tornado that occurs.
WATCH: Quebec's first tornado of the season causes damage near Ontario border
With files from MétéoMédia.
Thumbnail image courtesy: Getty images
