Published on December 23, 2023 at 10:14 p.m.
Authorities initially thought it was a hurricane. The verdict is in: It was actually a fire tornado that caused turmoil in British Columbia last summer. Details.
This would be the very first thing observed in Canada
According to the Northern Tornadoes Project, authorities spent weeks investigating this stunning event, which occurred at dawn on August 18, 2023, as a flaming tornado swirled across Gun Lake, fueled by the power of wildfires. The phenomenon occurred very close to the community of Gold Bridge, about 300 km north of Vancouver.
To confirm that it was indeed a tornado, researchers had to examine several criteria. First, using high-resolution images and thanks to videos recorded by witnesses at the crime scene, we can confirm that the vortex was formed in the rising current of a strongly convective cloud of water droplets. In addition, authorities were also able to detect rotation that meets the criteria for a tornado.
At this time, the Northern Tornadoes Project cannot provide a complete assessment of the damage. However, trees were uprooted. It is currently believed to be an EF-0 tornado. This event is important because it would be the first-ever fire tornado, or “pyrotornado,” confirmed in the country, according to the Northern Tornadoes Project.
In the almanac
On average, about five tornadoes occur per year in Quebec. Thanks to new tracking methods such as satellites, this number is expected to increase in the coming years. Although the 2023 season exceeded the current normal, it was not rich in rotation, with nine tornadoes, compared to 2022 and 2021, in which more than twenty were observed.
But two stronger ones, EF-2, blew into Lake Kent and Lake Marcel during the severe storms of August 3, 2023.
Note that the winds of an EF-2 tornado can reach speeds of up to 140 mph. These winds are strong enough to cause significant damage to buildings.