Ottawa·NewEnvironment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch west of Gatineau, noting a tornado could develop. The agency has also mentioned possible tornadoes for eastern Ontario Thursday.The lone alert so far is a thunderstorm watch for the Pontiac areaCBC News · Posted: Jul 24, 2025 10:29 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes agoA pedestrian runs across a street as the sky darkens and heavy rain pours down in downtown Ottawa in June 2024. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch west of Gatineau Thursday, noting a tornado could develop.The watch covers Quyon and communities to its north and west.Forecasters mention strong gusts of wind, large hail and heavy rain along with lightning, but do not yet say when.Environment Canada has also been mentioning possible Thursday tornadoes for eastern Ontario since Tuesday. There are no weather alerts there yet.Environment Canada recommends staying indoors and taking cover in a basement where possible during these types of threatening weather, and notes strong winds can damage trees or buildings and overturn vehicles.It issues a severe thunderstorm watch when conditions are favourable for a storm to develop. A warning is issued when there is evidence that a thunderstorm is imminent or occurring that will produce damaging hail, wind or rain.Tornado watches and warnings follow a similar system. Here’s what to do during a tornado alert Use CBC Lite for low-bandwith news if you lose power, internet A very hot Thursday is also expected, with Ottawa potentially reaching a high of 34 C that feels like 43 with humidity. That’s warning-worthy heat, but it won’t last long enough: Friday’s forecasted high for the capital is back to a seasonal 27 C.
Tornado risk for the Ottawa area Thursday
