Ottawa·BreakingEnvironment Canada has issued a tornado warning southwest of Ottawa, along with severe thunderstorm watches and warnings for eastern Ontario and western Quebec.Severe thunderstorm watches, warnings cover most of the regionCBC News · Posted: Jul 24, 2025 10:29 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 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 tornado warning for the Sharbot Lake area southwest of Ottawa, along with severe thunderstorm watches and warnings for eastern Ontario and western Quebec.The storm that’s possibly producing a tornado is near Sharbot Lake and moving east, Environment Canada said at 9:20 p.m.A broader tornado risk covers western Quebec except for Gatineau and Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, plus many eastern Ontario communities northwest of a line roughly stretching from Arnprior to Bancroft.Forecasters also mention strong gusts of wind, large hail and heavy rain along with lightning. Those are the threats the storm poses for the rest of eastern Ontario and Gatineau.Forecasters are not expecting a tornado risk in those places.Most of the Outaouais is under a severe thunderstorm warning, except for Gatineau and areas west of Quyon where the warning has lifted. Eastern Ontario’s lone remaining warning covers places such as Carleton Place and Renfrew.The thunderstorm watch has lifted in Algonquin Park and the Deep River area.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.The agency 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 Environment Canada has been mentioning the possibility of tornadoes for eastern Ontario since Tuesday.Thursday was also very hot, with Ottawa reaching 33 C and feeling like 42 with humidity by 3 p.m.. That’s warning-worthy heat, but it won’t last long enough: Friday’s forecasted high for the capital is back to a seasonal 28 C.
Tornado warning issued for Sharbot Lake area
