Jul.17, 2000 - F2 tornado rips through Guelph

[DarkSky]

July 17th, 2000
2 confirmed tornados

(tornado in Guelph) Photo taken by Lesley Ord.

Video captures of tornado over central Guelph facing E between 2015 EDT and 2022 EDT. Courtesy of Bradley Ivany.

A cold front pushed through triggering severe storms that produced 2 confirmed tornados in Guelph (F2) and Waterdown (F?). For full info check out E.C's damage survey by David Sills, MSC King Radar and Paul Campbell, MSC Ontario Region

Click here to watch a video of the tornado and news report

The following are video captures of the storms viewed from a distance (St. Catharines)
video available in the videos section

GENERAL WEATHER STATEMENT ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA. REGIONAL CENTRE TORONTO ONTARIO. 2.16 PM EDT TUESDAY 18 JULY 2000.
TWO CONFIRMED TORNADOES MONDAY EVENING..
TWO CONFIRMED TORNADOES..AN F2 IN GUELPH..AND A SECOND ONE WITH YET UNCONFIRMED INTENSITY TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST OF WATERDOWN.
THE DAMAGE IN THE COLDWATER AREA APPEARS TO BE FROM STRAIGHT LINE WINDS FROM A THUNDERSTORM DOWNBURST AS MOST OF THE FALLEN TREES WERE POINTING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE SPAWNED BY A SHARP ARCTIC COLD FRONT THAT SWEPT THROUGH SOUTHERN ONTARIO MONDAY EVENING.
NUMEROUS WATCHES AND WARNINGS WERE ISSUED AS THE STORMS MOVED THROUGH. REPORTS RECEIVED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA AS OF 2.00 PM TODAY ARE FOUND IN THE TABLE BELOW.
LOCATION TIME EVENT DESCRIPTION
(EDT)
THORNBURY 4.15 PM 80 KM/H WINDS FOR 30 SECONDS
PENETANG 4.30 PM GOLF BALL SIZE (4.5 CM) HAIL
MIDLAND 4.30 PM 2.5 - 5 CM DIAMETER HAIL SEEN
BY PILOT AND STORM SPOTTER
PORT MCNICOLL 4.36 PM 2 CM HAIL
(E MIDLAND)
6 KM WEST OF 5.30 PM 30 LARGE (2 FT DIAMETER) TREES
ORILLIA DOWN
8 KM NW 5.30 PM MANY TREES DOWN
COLDWATER LARGE HAY BALES TOSSED UP TO
250 M
LARGE ALUMINUM SHED MOVED
ORILLIA 5.30 PM 14.4 MM RAIN IN 15 MINUTES
SMALL HAIL AND 60 KM/H WINDS
MAXWELL 5.30 PM TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS
(SW COLLINGWOOD) HAIL AND FLOODING
RUSKVIEW 6.00 PM 90 KM/H WINDS
(S COLLINGWOOD) 1 CM HAIL
29.2 MM RAIN IN 30 MINUTES
LAGOON CITY 6.00 PM WIND GUST 76 KM/H
INNISFIL 6.50 PM FUNNEL CLOUD
NEWMARKET 6.50 PM 70 KM/H WINDS
SCHOMBERG 7.20 PM GOLF BALL SIZE (4.5 CM HAIL)
MAPLE 7.25 PM FUNNEL CLOUDS
SCARBOROUGH 7.58 PM 80 KM/H WINDS
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WITH
NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY
1 CM HAIL
THORNHILL 8.01 PM 1 CM HAIL
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS
S END OF GUELPH 8.00-8.30 PM CONFIRMED F2 TORNADO
- PHOTOGRAPHED
TREES DOWN
CARS DAMAGED
HOMES AND CHURCH DAMAGED
POWER FAILURES
RICHMOND HILL 8.30 PM 2-5 CM HAIL
15 KM NNE 8.30 PM CONFIRMED TORNADO
WATERDOWN UNKNOWN INTENSITY
(N BURLINGTON) VIDEO FOOTAGE
DOWNSVIEW (EC 8.35 PM 1 CM HAIL
HEADQUARTERS)
END/KUHN

[steven444]

great photography !!!

[Derecho]

I remember when that tornado happened the storm itself was just to our east. Those shots of the lightning were what we were seeing in the sky. I likened the shape of the illuminated clouds with each burst of lightning as to looking like cauliflower.

The first image of the storm, is that the tornado? I've questioned that for a few years now. Can't tell if it's a multivortex tornado or not.