Southern Manitoba, and the rest of the province, sees a lot of thunderstorms which can drop torrential rains, fling hail, spawn tornados, and summon powerful winds. But, "a lot of thunderstorms" is a relative phrase. It depends on what the province has seen in the last few years and what has happened in other provinces over the same span.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (previously Environment Canada--the name was changed by the federal government late last year) records the severe weather reports that come from people across the country.
That means that when a cell phone picture is taken of a thunderstorm and posted online, ECCC takes the information: where, when, and how severe and adds it to their database. Thanks to smart phones and social media.
The following graph represents verified reports collected by the ECCC.
In order to be considered "severe" each of the four weather events has to meet certain parameters:
-Hail has to be two centimeteres across the long axis.
-Wind must be gusting to 90 kilometeres per hour.
-Rain has to equal 50 milimeteres in one hour.
-Tornadoes are all considered severe.
"A pair of eyes, or the equivalent, has to have seen the event," said ECCC's Natalie Hasell, speaking of what's necessary to make a verified report. ECCC relies heavily on individuals making weather reports, Canadians with smart phones and digital cameras.
Hasell is a warning preparedness meteorologist with the ECCC. She explained how severe weather reports are verified and how much easier it has become for ECCC to receive verified reports of severe weather.
"We have access to really inexpensive but very efficient technology," said Hasell. "If we were go to back 15-20 years, cell phones were clunky, if they had a camera it wasn't very good. If you go even further back still, you didn't even have digital cameras." The process to make reports to ECCC would involve phone calls and emails without photo or video attachments--people can still make reports via phone and email of course.
Hasell believes that due to faster methods of sharing information through phones and online networks and the dispersment of people across the province, it is unlikely that Manitoba is experience a rising trend in severe weather.
"Each year is different," said Hasell. "We know that in other seasons as well. There's going to be variability from year to year."
To report severe weather to Environment and Climate Change Canada:
call: 1 (800) 239-0484
email: storm@ec.gc.ca
post to Environment Canada on Facebook
or @environmentca on Twitter
Sat, May 4, 7:30 PM
Labour, Seasonal
Featured
