The southeast is still reeling following four confirmed tornadoes around the Estevan area last week, luckily with no major damage or injuries reported. Though the threat is over, we're still in the middle of a tornado system, and another big thunderstorm could make for more tornadoes.
Environment Canada sends out warnings for tornadoes ahead of time, with Meteorologist Eric Dykes explaining some of their methodology for detecting the dangerous summer weather systems.
"We have to look at the pre-storm environment, obviously. We're looking at the day ahead and determining, okay, are the necessary ingredients for tornado genesis, the formation of tornadoes, possible? Okay, they are, and now we have to determine where in Saskatchewan is the greatest likelihood for these tornadoes to possibly develop later in the day?"
That leads to the tornado and severe thunderstorms watches and warnings that are issued by Environment Canada.
Before the warning is sounded, Dykes lays out the three atmospheric conditions they watch for to see if thunderstorms will form.
"There are three ingredients that are needed for severe thunderstorms. You need ample moisture. So you need moisture through the column, moisture at the surface, and a loft. You need to have an unstable atmosphere. You need to have some type of triggering mechanism that allows for the air to be forced upwards to rise to form the clouds that form the thunderstorms and so forth."
A fourth condition is needed for tornadoes to form from those thunderstorms.
"What produces the tornadoes is something called wind shear, and that's a change in direction or speed of wind with height," said Dykes, "So if you have winds that are coming out of the south, let's say, near the surface, and typically what we see is those winds becoming more of a westerly flow higher up. That allows that rising air to then turn and spin and give rise, pardon the pun, to tornadoes."
Dykes advises people to watch the forecast for any severe thunderstorms, and especially any possible tornado warnings.
If you're in an area without internet access, he lays out the ways to watch the sky and tell if a thunderstorm is taking place soon.
"When you're already out there, though, you're looking for thunderstorms in the area. So frequent thunder and lightning. You're looking for an extremely dark sky. So sometimes it can be highlighted by green or yellowish-looking clouds, a rumbling sound or a whistling sound, and you're keeping an eye out for any types of funnel clouds as well near the base of a thunderstorm, if you will. But they can be hard to see because they can be clouded by a curtain of heavy rain or hail."
Dykes advises anyone who sees a severe thunderstorm or tornado to seek shelter immediately, with some considerations about where you should go.
"If you're indoors, the safest place to be is in the lowest and most central room of your house, preferably a basement or a cellar, if you have it. You want to try to get underneath some kind of very sturdy piece of furniture using your arms to protect your head and your neck. Please don't open the windows, and please, if you are in a high-rise, don't use the elevators."
"If you're outdoors and you're stuck there, try to get inside if you can right away. But if you can't, lie flat in a ditch or sunken ground and cover your head with your hands. Do not go under an overpass or a bridge. What will normally happen there is that the winds will pick up speed as they are funnelled in between the ground and the underpass itself. And so the winds will actually accelerate under such a structure, if that's the case."
"If you're living in a mobile home, go to the nearest sturdy building or shelter if you can. Because obviously, mobile homes do not offer a lot of protection from tornadoes."
When on open land, Dykes advises people to try and reach a solid structure. If not, they should exit any vehicle they're in and lie inside a ditch while protecting their head from debris.