Farquhar, ON F0 Tornado of July 13, 2004

Huron - Perth


There was no notable damage caused by this tornado on its 2.8 kilometre long and 10 metre wide path; its confirmation was based on eyewitness accounts and video of the touchdown. This was one of three tornadoes that touched down in Essex County on July 13; the other tornadoes were an F1 at Brinsley and an F0 at Elimville.

Figure 1 depicts the surface observations at 2:00 pm EDT, which shows a stationary front in southwestern Ontario. This front was the focus for intense thunderstorms in the late-afternoon hours of July 13th, which ultimately led to this F1 tornado.

Figure 1. Surface analysis at 18Z on July 13, 2004 showing mean sea-level pressure (MSLP) contours, surface observations, fronts and pressure centres (WPC, 2017)

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (2018), an F0 tornado touched down at 6:10 pm near Brinsley, ON. The tornado travelled for 2.8 km and had a maximum width of 10 metres. The tornado caused no fatalities or injuries, but caused $30 thousand dollars in property damage.


Sources

NWS Weather Prediction Center Surface Analysis Archive. (2017). Surface analysis 18Z Tue Jul 13 2004. Retrieved from: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/archives/web_pages/sfc/sfc_archive.php

Environment and Climate Change Canada Data. (2018). Canadian National Tornado Database: Verified Events (1980-2009) – Public. Retrieved from: http://donnees.ec.gc.ca/data/weather/products/canadian-national-tornado-database-verified-events-1980-2009-public/