Reports of funnel clouds swirling above Innisfail May 29 ushered in a summer storm season that could roll in with a bang, thanks to recent moist conditions.
A picture credited to Kim Peers appearing to show the beginning stages of tornado formation above Dollarama was posted on the Red Deer News & Area Facebook page the following day.
Bill McMurtry, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said while no tornadoes had been reported in Innisfail that day, such funnel clouds are typical for this time of the year.
“That looks totally legitimate based on the conditions we saw,” he said, examining the photograph. “It's very narrow. It's only extending part of the way down from the base of the cloud.
“Seldom do they get to the extent that they touch the ground.”
Tim Aubin Mclean posted a picture showing a violet protrusion from a dark blue mass of clouds on theweathernetwork.com, which was also dated to May 29.
McMurtry said it is impossible to predict tornadoes more than a few minutes in advance, but noted damp conditions are a key ingredient of violent storms.
“An acre of growing crop or plants during the growing season can put more moisture into the atmosphere than an equivalent acre of water,” he said, noting the region is right at the top of the extreme weather list in Canada. “You see more than your fair share in the Innisfail area.”
This could point to an active tornado season this year, he noted.
The prairies have had three of the five most deadly tornadoes in the country since the late 1800s. Alberta has had two of the top four tornadoes, including the Pine Lake twister of 2000, which claimed 12 lives after hitting a campground and trailer park.
Tornadoes have been reported on every continent except Antarctica and can reach speeds of up to 500 km/h. Twisters are rated on the Fujita scale from the least dangerous at F0 to the most destructive F5 events. Most Central Albertan tornados get an F0 or F1 rating.
While the Moore, Okla. tornado that killed 24 people continues to grab headlines, McMurtry stresses the risk of this kind of destruction is low. Yet he encourages residents of Central Alberta to have a worst-case scenario plan in place.
“The best shelter to take is to go into one's basement,” he said. “If you're unable to go underground the next best thing is a reinforced building. Try to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.”
People who see extreme weather can have their photographs analyzed by uploading image files to [email protected], which also helps meteorologists track events. You can also report severe weather by calling 1-800-239-0484.
McMurtry says with the advent of simple digital photography tools and social networking, the spread of fake weather photos has increased.
“We've noticed an increase in erroneous images sent around,” he said. “These things become viral very easily.”
Reporting images to Environment Canada can help stem this tide, he says, and potentially help keep the public safe.
