Environment and Climate Change Canada is looking into reports of tornadoes near Sperling, Gretna, and Niverville after severe storms moved through southern Manitoba on Thursday.
Tornado investigations underway
Dave Carlson, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says they are still working to verify if tornadoes actually touched down in those areas.
"We got those reports late last evening and we're working together with Northern Tornadoes Project to verify those," Carlson notes.
"The one by Sperling, based on what we saw in the video, that's very likely unless it was a doctored video or someone's playing some games, that was very likely to be confirmed to tornado. The other ones, Gretna and Niverville, we're working to find any other evidence of a tornado with those ones," he adds.
Carlson says there are currently no reports of injuries or property damage.
As of Thursday night, Environment Canada’s official statement confirms the sightings but stresses that the events remain unverified.
The agency is asking the public to submit any photos or damage reports by phone, email or social media, using the hashtag #mbstorm.
Tornadoes came as a surprise
As for whether these tornadoes were expected, Carlson says the atmospheric conditions weren’t particularly favourable for them, which made the events even more surprising.
"Anytime you get a thunderstorm moving in. There's an outside chance of a tornado. Yesterday, there was a little bit of extra spin in the lower atmosphere. With that system that was coming in, we still didn't really expect any tornadoes...Sometimes you get a little bit of swirling wind under a thunderstorm and it appears that's probably what happened because these certainly weren't the kind of the kind of tornadoes where the entire thunderstorm is spinning and you can see it on the Doppler radar."
Rain totals surge across the province
Heavy rainfall accompanied Thursday’s storm system, drenching much of southern Manitoba. Some of the highest amounts recorded include over 70 millimetres in Morden, 72 mm in Winnipeg, 59 mm in Elm Creek, and 58 mm in both Somerset and Carberry.
The Portage area received about 20 mm.
Forecast remains wet and windy
The unsettled weather lingers into Friday, with continued showers and high winds expected throughout the day. Carlson mentions that the same system behind Thursday’s thunderstorms is hanging on for another 12 to 18 hours.
"The winds are going to be fairly gusty, gusting 80 and the temperature isn't going to be all that warm. We're looking for a high somewhere around plus three or four. Unpleasant day with the wind and rain," Carlson remarks.
Looking ahead to the overnight period, Carlson says the temperature will stay above freezing, which means mixed precipitation isn’t likely.
"I don't think we'll see any mixed flurries in there, because what's probably going to happen is the temperature is going to stay above freezing until after the precipitation stops. So we might see a little bit of slippery roads in the morning, and it looks like we've probably got two nights in a row of temperatures close to 0. Maybe even three nights in a row of that before we rebound back for the end of the long weekend," he notes.
Friday brings periods of rain through the day with hazy conditions in the morning. Expected rainfall ranges from 10 to 15 mm. Winds from the north will pick up quickly, starting at 40 km/h gusting to 60 and increasing to 60 gusting to 80 km/h by mid-morning.
Temperatures will fall to around +3°C in the afternoon.
By Friday night, rain is expected to taper off after midnight, giving way to cloudy skies. Winds will remain strong through the evening at 50 km/h, gusting to 70, before easing to 30 gusting to 50 near midnight. The overnight low will sit around +1°C.
May long weekend could bring sunshine
There’s some good news for Manitobans hoping for a turnaround by the end of the Victoria Day weekend.
Carlson says temperatures are on the rise after the storm passes.
"It looks like as usually happens after the May long weekend. We'll come back up to well above freezing. Looks like the temperatures in the long range are going to be fairly nice for whatever kind of outdoor activities you want to do," he continues.
Saturday is expected to stay mainly cloudy, with winds from the north at 30 km/h gusting to 50 and a high of 7°C.
Conditions brighten considerably by Sunday with clear skies and a high of 12°C. Monday and Tuesday follow with sunny or mixed conditions and highs of 15 and 18°C, respectively.
The warming trend continues into midweek with a mix of sun and cloud on Wednesday and Thursday, with highs of 19°C and 21°C.
Carlson added that after a wet and windy stretch, Manitoba should enjoy more seasonal weather just in time for the Victoria Day holiday.