Tornado outbreak hits Saskatchewan, 6 confirmed tornadoes, Canada

Environment Canada confirmed that six tornadoes touched down in Saskatchewan on Friday, July 21, 2017 as severe thunderstorms rolled through the region. The ratings had not been given yet.

Two of the tornadoes touched down north of Lanigan, southeast of Saskatoon, one touched down north of Jansen, one near the town of Quill Lake, another near Fishing Lake and the last one between Wapella and Rocanville.

But tornadoes were not all that the violent thunderstorms produced on Friday, as golf ball-sized hail was reported across the province accompanied by wind gusts near or exceeding 90 km/h (56 mph), The Weather Network reports.

In neighboring Manitoba, a funnel cloud was spotted near Virden, and large hail and strong winds were also reported, with gusts nearing 100 km/h (62 mph) in Sioux Valley. 

Severe thunderstorms began firing up in Alberta Sunday afternoon, July 23, with large amounts of hail and torrential downpours reported in some areas between Edmonton and Calgary. Tornado watches have been issued for several communities, including Leduc, Red Deer, Drayton Valley and surrounding areas.

Powerful winds are expected in Alberta and Saskatchewan on Monday, July 24. Gusts could exceed 90 km/h (56 mph) between Edmonton and Cold Lake, fairly unusual for this time of year.

Featured image: Tornado hits eastern Saskatchewan on July 21, 2017. Credit: Craig Boehm (via Twitter)