Tornado confirmed in Brossard

A semi truck lies on it's side in Brossard on Wednesday evening, after a tornado moved across the area around 8:15PM. There was also damage reported to a few homes, power lines and trees. (Longueuil Police Photo)

The Northern Tornadoes Project from Western University will be investigating the damage caused by a tornado in South Shore Brossard around 8:15PM Wednesday evening. The storm was captured on video and appears to be an EF-0 tornado or perhaps a low end EF-1. Investigators will confirm the tornado and determine the strength later today. The tornado uprooted trees, knocked over a semi truck and cut power to over 3500 homes around Matte Boulevard. The same line of storms did show some rotation as it passed over my location on Ile Perrot. 

The same storm the produced the possible tornado in Brossard Wednesday evening, exhibited rotation as it moved across Ile Perrot around 8PM. (Valley Weather Photo)

Tow other possible tornadoes were observed in Saint-Hippolyte and Portneuf. If both storms are confirmed, it will bring the number of tornadoes to date in 2024 to 11 across Quebec. This is well-above the long-term average of 4.

As expected, strong thunderstorms swept across southern Quebec and parts of Ontario starting early Wednesday afternoon. The storms were in response to a frontal boundary moving into a very moist and unstable airmass. There were several rounds of storms into the evening hours, producing primarily heavy rain an lots of vivid lightning across the Montreal region.

Around 16mm of rain fell at Trudeau Airport on Wednesday, bringing our monthly total to 112.4mm. There was some minor flooding reported, especially in the western portion of the island, but thankfully not a repeat of the July 10 storms.

Thunderstorms produced some minor flooding along Senneville Road near the Île-aux-Tourtes-Bridge Wednesday afternoon. (Valley Weather Photo)

In Ontario, the storms prompted tornado warnings in the mid-afternoon for the Hawkesburry region and neighbouring Lachute. In the evening hours another tornado warned storm moved from the Rideau Lakes region into the Merrickville and Kemptville area south of Ottawa. There were reports of downed trees and power lines.

A cold front on Thursday will be accompanied by isolated showers, before cooler and less humid air arrives for Friday. Temperatures will be cooler Thursday and Friday, before warming once again into the high 20s and low 30s for the weekend and beyond.

Meanwhile western Canada is baking and burning. Temperatures soared to 40C (104F) across southern Saskatchewan and Alberta on Wednesday. Significant fires are burning in Alberta and British Columbia, including the Jasper Complex Fire that has burned thousands of hectares and forced the evacuation of Jasper Townsite and closure of the National Park.

Showery and humid weather week ahead for Montreal

The weather was perfect Sunday for the annual car show at Pointe-du-Moulin on Ile Perrot. There were hundreds of cars on display, including the 1958 Ford Thunderbird shown above. A huge turnout of spectators was present as well at the historic park along the shores of the St. Lawrence River. (Valley Weather Photo)

Another typical July weather week is set to unfold in Montreal. We just came off a nearly perfect weekend, with shower activity confined to the late evening and overnight period Saturday into Sunday. Both days were sunny and warm, with less humid and breezy conditions on Sunday making it an ideal day for any outdoor activity.

The week will start fair and warm, but clouds will increase on Tuesday, setting the stage for a few rounds of showers and thunderstorms through Thursday. Temperatures will be warm, around 28C (83F), and it will feel muggy as humidity levels begin to creep up. Rainfall amounts may exceed 25mm in the most persistent showers, that would likely be on Thursday. As the week draws to a close, skies will clear and temperatures will begin to rise. Expect daytime highs to rise into the low 30s by next Sunday as a heatwave returns to southern Quebec o end the month.

Another 4mm of rain fell Saturday night in Montreal, bringing our wet July up to 96mm at Trudeau Airport, however unofficially more has fallen around other parts of the city. I have measured 87.2mm for the month on Ile Perrot. While these amounts are impressive, they are nothing compared to Toronto's Pearson Airport, where a whopping 185.4mm, over 7 inches of rain has fallen in July. Ottawa has recorded 117.3mm.

They could sure use the rain across Western Canada. Widespread heat warnings are in effect as high temperatures soar into the middle 30s, in some cases exceeding 40C (104F) across interior B.C. The high heat has created extremely dangerous fire conditions across a wide portion of the western US and adjacent Canadian provinces. In British Columbia alone, there are 319 active fires burning, 32 in the last 24 hours and 198 declared in the last week. The hot weather is expected to persist throughout the upcoming week.

Flash flooding sweeps across southern Ontario

Close to 100mm of rain falling in just a few hours flooded large sections of the GTA Tuesday morning, including the Don Valley Parkway shown above. (Twitter Photo #ocstorm)

Just as it did last week in Montreal, severe thunderstorms produced widespread flash flooding across the greater Toronto region on Tuesday.

A cluster of thunderstorms developed along the Lake Ontario shoreline on Tuesday morning, hammering southern Ontario with rounds of heavy rain. Significant flash flooding occurred across the GTA, closing roads and inundating homes, businesses and even Union Station with deep water. 

Public transportation in several areas ground to a halt after 97.8mm of rain fell at Toronto's Pearson Airport, the fifth wettest day on record at that location. Most of that in just a few hours. TTC stations filled with water, and firefighters had to rescue commuters from Go Trains. A dozen motorists were also rescued from the badly flooded Don Valley Parkway. Toronto Hydro reported as many as 170,000 customers without power at the height of the storm. Many roads and ramps remained closed into Wednesday morning as the cleanup continued. It was Toronto's third "100-year flood" since 2013.

Damage will likely run into the tens of millions after major, widespread flooding occurred across the Toronto region on Tuesday, July 16. (Photo: OPP)

Significant flooding was also reported in the London region. The line of thunderstorms swept northeast towards Kingston before moving east into upstate New York and passing well south of Montréal. Severe weather was reported in New York and Vermont, with wind damage, power outages and more flooding.

Despite the hot and humid weather across southern Quebec, most of the storms were tame in nature, with lots of lightning, but just a few millimetres of rain here in the St. Lawrence Valley late Monday night and again Tuesday afternoon.

With the amount of cars badly flooded and likely destroyed as well as the amount of water that flowed into homes, train stations and businesses, damage will run into the tens of millions of dollars, just as it did here in Montréal last week.

More heat, humidity and thunderstorms

High humidity levels have produced hazy skies over Montreal since the flooding last Wednesday. Adding to the hazy skies has been high altitude smoke from wildfires burning in western Canada. Expect a few more days of hot and humid weather, along with scattered thunderstorms and the potential for more local flash flooding.

Typical July weather will persist across southern Quebec, as we remain on the northern edge of a very hot and humid airmass along the eastern seaboard and central portion of the United States. We can expect elevated humidity and temperatures near 30C (86F) through Wednesday. Humidex values will be close to 40C for many locations. 

Heat warnings have been issued for eastern Ontario, and heat advisories for the Champlain Valley of Vermont and New York. Regardless of the warnings, the weather will feel muggy and oppressive, so seek out A/C or a pool and drink plenty of fluids over the next few days.

There is a risk of pop up thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours, the greatest risk being Wednesday along a cold front. Any thunderstorm that develops in this type of airmass, has the potential to produce heavy rain and flash flooding. We experienced just how quickly flooding can happen in Montreal last week, with just 50 or 60mm of rain falling in an hour or two. Other than the rain, there is a risk for small hail and strong winds, even perhaps an isolated tornado away across the lower Laurentians and in the Eastern Townships.

July has been a warm month in Montreal, with 29C (85F), being the magic number. Trudeau Airport has reached 29C on 8 days this month, with 30C (86F) on three of the other days of the 15 so far. Humidity levels have been sweltering at times, with plenty of moisture around, as 89mm of rain has already fallen in July. As I write Monday morning, we are already sitting at 24C (76F), with a tropical dew point of 21C (70F), humidity reading of 83 percent and a humidex value of 33C (92F) at 8AM.

By Wednesday, cooler, less-humid air should arrive across southern Quebec as a cold front moves across the St. Lawrence Valley. Showers and thunderstorms will accompany the front into Thursday before skies clear for Friday and into next weekend.

Beryl hammers southern Quebec and New England

Record-breaking rainfall from the remains of hurricane Beryl caused major flash flooding in Montreal during the Wednesday afternoon commute. The Decarie Expressway, shown above, flooding once again.

The rainfall warning remains in effect for Montreal through noon Thursday. Thunderstorms may produce another 15-25mm of rain today as the remains of Beryl become absorbed by an upper level low over eastern Ontario

The remains of hurricane Beryl, located in eastern Ontario early Thursday morning, hammered the Montreal region Wednesday afternoon, with a record-breaking 80mm of rain in just a few hours. The rain overwhelmed the sewer systems causing major flooding across the central portion of the city and specifically between the Decarie Expressway and Highway 13.

Highway 40 at Cote-Vertu (Photo: Regina Zorman)

At Trudeau Airport, 79.2mm of rain fell in a few hours, crushing the daily record of 32.5mm set in 1975. We fell just short of the all-time record for July of 87.6mm set in 1880. The event is definitely at the high end of rainstorms for the metro Montreal region.

Numerous roads were closed at the height of the rush hour creating absolute gridlock, and forcing the afternoon commute to last well into the late evening. Highway 40 was under water and Cote-Vertu, as was Cote-Vertu at Begin where several cars sat in water door deep in the intersection.

Many cars were inundated by flood waters and abandoned. The Montreal Fire Department carried out several water rescues. Damage was reported to several homes and businesses as basements flooded, including The Suburban's office building at 7575 Trans Canada. The building was evacuated by the fire department after water, several feet deep, entered the basement. Power was cut and remains out on Thursday.

Catastrophic flooding has occurred once again in central Vermont. Above, a destroyed home in Plainfield, Vermont. (Photo Anna Guber, WPTZ News)

The storm had far reaching effects, with major flooding reported in Vermont once again on the one year anniversary of the historic 2023 flood. Many of the same locations in central Vermont were hit hard. Homes have been damaged and roads washed out.

In New York, dozens of tornado warnings were issued, with three confirmed touch downs so far.

The heavy rain and severe weather occurred after Beryl interacted with a warm front over northern New York and a tropical airmass over southern Quebec. Unfortunately the warm and humid weather, with intervals of showers, will persist for Montreal well into next week.

Remains of Beryl to bring heavy rain to Ontario and Quebec

Tropical depression Beryl will lift northeast into the lower Great Lakes and eventually eastern Ontario on Thursday. Very heavy rain and thunderstorms will move into southern Ontario early Wednesday and spread into southern Quebec later in the afternoon. 50 to 100mm of rain is possible for many locations.

Special Weather Statement for metro Montreal.

Heavy Rain Warning for southern Quebec south of the St. Lawrence River as well as eastern Ontario

Flash Flood Watch for northern New York and Vermont

What is left of hurricane Beryl is moving across the Ohio Valley late Tuesday evening, expected to lift northeast into the Great Lakes on Wednesday. Along and to the north of the track of Beryl, heavy rain and training thunderstorms are expected, with flash flooding possible. 

Tuesday was warm and humid in Montreal, with another 30C (86F) high for the city. Humidex values were well into the middle 30s. A weak front pushed south across the St. Lawrence Valley late in the day with a few showers and will settle into New England before moving north as a warm front Wednesday. That front will become the focus for very heavy rainfall Wednesday as it lifts back north. Where the front sets up will determine who has the greatest flood threat. 

The thinking at this time is that the heaviest rain will fall along the St. Lawrence Valley in Ontario southeast into the Adirondacks of New York. Montreal will be on the northern edge of the heaviest rain, with 30-50mm (1-2 inches) possible. Any slight shift north would bring the flood threat into Montreal.

At present, heavy rain warnings are in effect along the St. Lawrence River and south to the US border. Amounts may exceed 50mm from late Wednesday into Thursday morning. The biggest threat for flash flooding looks like northern New York into Vermont, where 50-100mm (2-4 inches) is possible, with local amounts in excess of 150mm (6 inches) possible. This amount of water would produce flash, urban and river flooding.

Hurricane Beryl produced catastrophic damage as it made landfall near Matagorda Bay, Texas early Monday morning. Portions of the central and upper Texas coast reported significant storm surge flooding along with tornadoes. Above, surge flooding in Sargent, Texas. (Photo Mike's Weather Page)

Beryl's circulation has been producing flash flooding and isolated tornadoes across the Mississippi Valley on Tuesday, lifting northward into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes. The death toll from Beryl in Texas and Louisiana has reached 7. On Tuesday, nearly 2 million residents along the Gulf Coast and in Houston remained without power in searing 100F heat.

Beryl should become absorbed into an upper level low and move southeast across the region Thursday. The showers will taper off, but conditions will remain warm and humid throughout the week and into next weekend.

Beryl moves inland over south Texas - expected to bring heavy rain to Ontario & Quebec

Radar image of hurricane beryl making landfall along the Texas coast in the pre-dawn hours Monday, July 8. (NOAA)

Early Monday morning a strengthening hurricane Beryl moved inland near Matagorda Bay on the central Texas coast. As of 7am. the hurricane was located 40 kilomteres southwest of Houston, moving north at 19km/h, with 120km/h winds. Beryl had been meandering in the Gulf of Mexico, a weakened storm after hitting the Yucatan region on Friday. Beryl was a category 5 hurricane as it struck parts of the Windward Islands.

As Beryl made landfall in Texas, a storm surge of 3-7 feet occurred along the coast near and to the right of the center. Winds gusted as high as 150km/h, producing widespread power outages along the central and upper Texas coast. Heavy rain is forecast to spread inland today, affecting the flood-prone Houston metropolitan region. In excess of 200mm of rain is possible at many locations. The heavy rain will spread north into Arkansas and Oklahoma as the day wears on. Tornadoes are possible as well across east Texas and Arkansas.

By Thursday morning, the remains of hurricane Beryl will be moving into southern Ontario. Very heavy rain, up to 100mm, is expected to fall along a narrow swath. That swath may line up along the St. Lawrence Valley and impact Montreal. The path will need to be watched closely. (NHC)

As Beryl is downgraded to a tropical storm later today and eventually a depression by tonight, the remains will move northeast into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes. Beryl will become a big rainmaker as the circulation interacts with a warm front draped across northern New England.

The airmass is tropical in nature already, with elevated humidity levels. Some locations in southern Quebec and Ontario have already had considerable rainfall over the last week or so from thunderstorms. The ground is saturated in many locations, especially across the Eastern Townships and New England.

Very heavy rain is expected to develop Wednesday along with embedded thunderstorms. The atmosphere will be tropical in nature. At this time, most computer models have the heaviest rain falling over New England, but it will be dependant on where the warm front sets up. Some locations may recieve as much as 100mm (4 inches) of rain from Beryl.

Outside of Beryl, southern Quebec and Montreal can expect a warm and humid week, with scattered showers and thunderstorms.

Warm and humid weather to persist into the weekend - Beryl eyes Texas coast

The death toll across the Caribbean region has reach eight in the wake of Hurricane Beryl. The once category 5 storm levelled the Grenadian Island of Carriacou (above) with widespread, catastrophic damage. A weakening Beryl was located over the Yucatan region of Mexico on Friday afternoon, expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico later tonight and threaten the lower Texas coast by late Sunday. (Loop Caribbean News Photo)

Numerous temperature records for daytime highs and even overnight lows were established in June in Montreal and across parts of eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. That trend is persisting into July. We have had quite a warm and muggy start to the month, with daytime highs just shy of 30C each day at Trudeau Airport. Relative humidity levels have also been creeping up the last few days and conditions are rather uncomfortable Friday afternoon, with a humidex value 32C (90F) as I write this blog.

The upcoming weekend will follow the trend set so far this summer, with showers and thunderstorms expected. It will not be a washout however, with the main threat for precipitation overnight into the early morning hours Saturday, as well as later in the day. Temperatures will remain warm, in the high 20s through the weekend and into next week. 

After the passage of a cool front Sunday, slightly less humid air will be in place for Monday. However this will not last long, as moist air streams northward once again by mid-week. We will have to watch the oppressive heat and humidity that is building across the United States along both coasts to see how far north it moves. Temperatures across the Prairies, southern Alberta and interior British Columbia will rise into the 30s to near 40C in some cases this weekend and into next week.

The official National Hurricane Center forecast track for Beryl this weekend, taking the hurricane from the tourist region of the Yucatan Peninsula northwest into the lower Texas coast by late Sunday. Beryl remains a dangerous storm, with an elevated risk for surge and fresh water flooding for south Texas, spreading well inland. (NHC)

Hurricane Beryl

We will also need to monitor the remains of Hurricane Beryl as it moves inland over Texas by late Sunday. On Friday afternoon, Beryl was located inland over the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, with 140km/h winds. The storm was moving to the west northwest at 26km/h with a central pressure of 980mb. The center was located 1095 kilometres east southeast of Brownsville, Texas. Beryl has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane after pounding Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. As the center moves well inland over Mexico, it should weaken to a tropical storm before re-emerging back over the Gulf of Mexico early Saturday. Some intensification is now forecast before landfall along the Texas Gulf Coast by late Sunday or Monday.

Record-breaking hurricane Beryl slams Windward Islands

An image being shared on social media of significant damage on Grenada's Carriacou Island after the passage of Hurricane Beryl on Monday, July 1.

The Atlantic hurricane season is unfortunately off to the intense start many forecasters had feared. The first named hurricane of the season, Beryl, grew into a Category 4 monster today before racing across Grenada's Carriacou Island at around 11am EDT Monday morning. The storm maintained 150mph (240km/h) winds at landfall, making it the strongest hurricane since Ivan in 2004 to impact this region. NOAA Hurricane Hunters flying into the storm, reported a minimum barometric pressure of  946mb at 5pm Monday, with Beryl maintaining 150 mph winds. According to the National Hurricane Center, Beryl is the strongest June hurricane in the record books, as well as the earliest category 4 storm dating back to 1851.

Why is Beryl strong? Very simple, the Atlantic basin is currently as warm as it normally is in September at peak season for hurricanes. Hurricanes do not know what time of the year it is, but they do know warm waters. Basically, Beryl is acting like a September storm. This is just the start, with forecasters predicting a very active, intense season.

An enhanced NOAA satellite image of Hurricane Beryl making landfall on Carriacou Island at 11am EDT Monday, July 1st.

Reports from Grenada and the surrounding island are of widespread power outages and flooding. Initial reports from Carriacou Island are of significant damage and flooding. Social media mages form the island show numerous buildings without roofs as well as large boats submerged in the harbour.

Maurice Bishop International Airport in St. Georges, Grenada, reported winds early Monday afternoon of 92 mph, gusting to 121mph (148G194 km/h)

Beryl is now racing away from the Windward Islands at 21 mph (33km/h) towards the northwest. The storm is expected to remain a major hurricane through midweek while moving south of Haiti and Cuba and approaching Jamaica. Afterwards, wind shear is expected to increase in the vicinity of the hurricane, causing a gradual weakening as Beryl approaches the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.