Severe weather wreaks havoc in Guelph
Rewritten Article
Dealing with a furious storm, Guelph experienced a whirlwind of tree branches flying and extensive damage.
In the afternoon of Tuesday, Environment Canada sounded the alarm with a special weather statement, predicting the possibility of destructive winds and hail as the storm attacked areas in southern Ontario.
By 8 p.m., the alerts had been called off, yet the storm's might was visible everywhere.
"The winds were whipping up to a monstrous 70 km/h, possibly even reaching 80 km/h, throughout the Guelph vicinity during the afternoon hours," mentioned Rob Kuhn, a Severe Weather Meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
"Following that, a series of thunderstorms joined forces with a powerful cold front around the 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. mark and these storms unleashed even more brutally powerful winds with gusts ranging from 90 km/h to 100 km/h," Kuhn added.
He noted that the storm was intense yet brief.
"The fiercest part of the storm probably only lasted a mere five minutes. The turbulent storms themselves were racing east at about 80 km/h to 90 km/h, meaning when you got hit, it was sudden. Once the storms formed into a line, they were charging southeast at around 40 km/h," Kuhn explained.
At a U-Haul facility on Speedvale Avenue, at least one of the identifiable orange storage containers had been tossed onto its side.
"It seemed like one container tipped over. Winds that strong for half a minute to a minute can certainly cause destruction. It resembles a rampaging windwall" Kuhn explained.
Residents' social media posts showcased large fallen tree limbs and toppled fences, while other videos depicted debris whirling down the street as the winds raged through the area.
"At this stage, there's no concrete proof or reports of tornadoes," Kuhn said. "We've been asked that question for a few instances already in eastern Ontario, but so far nothing has been confirmed that there was a tornado. When we issued the warnings for these storms, the predominant threats were straight-line destructive winds and downbursts from the thunderstorms, and that's indeed what seems to have transpired."
In a post on X, the Guelph Police Service admitted they were drenched in calls and reminded residents not to dial 911 if their power was out.
Alectra Utilities reported power outages plaguing various parts of the city. Crews were sent to attend to the issues, although an estimate for power restoration was not available as of 8:30 p.m.
Insight: The intense storm that tore through Guelph on April 29, 2025, was a severe thunderstorm characterized by destructive winds of up to 110 km/h and large hail up to 4 cm (golf ball-sized). Due to its rapid development and powerful winds, damaged buildings and power outages were unfortunately common occurrences in this region.
- Environment Canada issued a special weather statement on Tuesday afternoon, warning about destructive winds and hail due to an approaching storm in southern Ontario.
- Rob Kuhn, a Severe Weather Meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, confirmed that the storm had winds of up to 80 km/h, followed by thunderstorms causing gusts of 90-100 km/h.
- Kuhn explained that the storm was intense, brief, and raced through areas at about 80-90 km/h, causing sudden destruction.
- A U-Haul facility on Speedvale Avenue sustained damage as at least one storage container was tossed onto its side during the storm.
- Although there were no confirmed reports of tornadoes, Kuhn stated that there were no concrete proofs or reports indicating the occurrence of tornadoes during the storm, but the predominant threat was straight-line destructive winds and downbursts from the thunderstorms.
