During a windy thunderstorm Sunday, researchers say that two weak tornadoes touched down in Windsor.
Researchers with the Northern Tornadoes Project at the University of Western confirmed two EF0 tornadoes touched down in South Cameron and Forest Glade over the weekend.
Speaking on AM800's The Shift, Dr. David Sills, Executive Director of the Northern Tornadoes Project, says that while the tornadoes were categorized as EF0, the lowest on the scale which runs from EF0 to EF5, it still caused damage throughout the city.
The tornado in west Windsor on South Cameron touched down at approximately 6:45 p.m. Sunday with a wind speed of 90 kilometres an hour, track length of just over two kilometres and and a maximum path width of 180 metres.
The second tornado touched down shortly after in Forest Glade, running from Forest Glade to the St. Clair Beach area, with a wind speed of 125 kilometres an hour, a track length of 4.69 kilometres, and a maximum path width of 120 metres.
A team with the project visited the region on Monday and was able to find a narrow path of damage for each of the tornadoes.
Sills says what they look for when the team comes to observe the damage.
"With a tornado we're looking for something that's a long, narrow damage path. With a downburst, and that's air coming out of the thunderstorm and then kind of spreading out, it's not narrow, it's usually a wide pattern, and all of the tree are probably down in one direction. So, it's just different damage patterns that we're looking for when we get down there."
He says most of the damage for the west end tornado was on Bruce Avenue.
"This is a tornado that crossed Tecumseh Road West, near Campbell Avenue, and then just got a little bit stronger as it crossed there, and took out some trees in Bruce Avenue. So, that was only a two kilometre track, and probably maximum 90 kilometres an hour winds there."
He says the tornado in Forest Glade caused more damage.
"The track was longer and the tornado was a bit stronger out in Forest Glade. So that was Forest Glade to St. Clair Beach, about five kilometres in total, 125 kilometres an hour winds there, with some roof damage among all the tree damage."
Sills says someone could get hurt, even with a small tornado.
"You can start seeing damage with the EF0, and they're still dangerous. If you get some projectiles that are thrown around in the air by that kind of wind, even at EF0, someone could get hurt. But you certainly don't want to see the damage that could happen at EF5."
According to the City of Windsor, there was no damage done to city infrastructure and tree clean-up from the tornadoes is almost done.
An EF0 microburst, which is a localized column of sinking air, was also confirmed from the same day in Essex with a maximum wind speed of 125 kilometres an hour.
Tree and minor roof damage was reported in Essex after a storm passed through the area around 7 p.m.
-with files from AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides & CTV Windsor