Thunderstorms which developed over central and southern Alberta last week led to strong wind gusts, a tornado, and even hail, reports say.
In a report updated earlier this week, Environment Canada confirmed that a tornado appeared near Bergen, AB on July 7, 2022. The Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) first received a report of the tornado around 2:32 PM MDT on said day and later received reports that at least four houses and “many” trees were damaged due to the tornado.
Shortly after the tornado, the ECCC worked with the Northern Tornadoes Project to facilitate an on-site storm damage survey. An Enhanced Fujita Scale rating for the tornado has not yet been officially issued, but preliminary observations have suggested that the Bergen tornado was an EF1, with wind speeds between 135 and 175 km/h.
Elsewhere, wind gusts peaked at up to 104 km/hr in Calgary, Environment Canada reported.
Meanwhile, several communities in southern Alberta experienced severe hail. One area saw hail the size of a chicken egg, Environment Canada noted.
The communities which reported hail fall and their average hail size are:
