ONTARIO: Thunderstorm Forecast for Friday, June 16, 2023

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FORECAST DISCUSSION

Widespread non-severe thunderstorms are expected throughout Central and Eastern Ontario along with the Golden Horseshoe on Friday. The highest concentration of storms is expected to be in Eastern Ontario along the St. Lawrence River although we may see some isolated storms further west around the GTA and Central Ontario.

The current model data suggest that the environment is quite favourable for the development of funnel clouds with these storms during the afternoon and evening. While funnel clouds don’t usually pose a threat, they could touch down and become a landspout tornado.

Landspout: A landspout is a type of tornado that forms under a weak thunderstorm. Unlike traditional tornadoes, which develop from supercell thunderstorms and are associated with a rotating updraft called a mesocyclone, landspouts form from non-supercell storms and do not have a mesocyclone. These tornadoes are generally weaker and shorter-lived than their supercell counterparts but can still pose a threat to property and life, with wind speeds occasionally reaching up to 160 km/h.