Weak tornado confirmed near Carleton Place

A weak tornado formed southwest of Ottawa on Wednesday, along with “multiple funnel clouds” and hail, as a series of severe storm cells passed through the region, researchers and Environment Canada have confirmed.

Investigators from Western University’s Northern Tornadoes Project were dispatched to the Franktown community in Beckwith Township, Ont., to examine damage after the Wednesday afternoon storms.

“The Franktown, ON area experienced a weak tornado, damage still being assessed,” the research group tweeted Thursday. 

The area is about 12 kilometres south of Carleton Place, Ont., and 55 kilometres southwest of downtown Ottawa.

In a weather summary posted on its website Thursday night, Environment Canada said several storms brought pea-sized to ping-pong-ball sized hail to parts of central and southeastern Ontario Wednesday.

Tree damage was reported in Prince Edward County, Kingston and Kemptville, and there was tree damage and property damage in the south Ottawa suburb of Richmond, Environment Canada said.

“Multiple funnel clouds were also reported with the thunderstorms that passed south of Ottawa in the Richmond and Kemptville areas,” the weather summary said.

The weak tornado near Carleton Place is the fourth tornado confirmed by the team in eastern Ontario since mid-June and the second in Lanark County. That doesn’t count May’s fatal derecho.

Environment Canada issued severe thunderstorm warnings in eastern Ontario Wednesday and a tornado warning for Cornwall and Morrisburg as the severe weather blew through.

Elsewhere in Ontario, northwest of Toronto, a waterspout was spotted near Sauble Beach off Lake Huron.