Environment Canada has provided more details on the storm that ripped through southeastern Manitoba Saturday night.

The storm dropped heavy rain, while winds were strong enough to uproot trees, topple hydro poles and rip apart some structures. The old Niverville arena lost part of its roof in the storm, causing some to question whether in fact it was a tornado that hit their community.

"Based on information I have right now, we don't have any visual or radar evidence to suggest that this was actually a tornado," says Natalie Hasell with Environment Canada. "Strong straight-line winds look to be much more the culprit."

Hasell explains there was a low pressure system early Saturday morning in Saskatchewan. And, associated to it, there was a frontal structure, which moved across to reach southern Manitoba shortly after noon. There were storms on the cold front associated to that low and Hasell says cold fronts tend to be powerful triggers for thunderstorms.

"So not entirely surprising," she says.

2021 06 storm1

According to Hasell, 90 kilometres per hour is the threshold for the beginning of severe winds. She notes at least seven locations had wind gusts that exceeded that mark. Those locations were observed by either Environment and Climate Change Canada or Manitoba Agriculture. This included:

  • Menisino 111
  • St. Pierre 107
  • Rosa 104
  • Emerson 104
  • Snowflake 102
  • Somerset 96
  • Altona 96

"Ninety kilometres per hour, that's when we start to see damage typically," says Hasell.

Hasell reminds the public that it does not take a tornado for there to be wind damage. She notes strong, straight-line winds come out of a different part of the storm and can be just as powerful as some tornadoes.

"Because they travel away from the storm, the storm kind of pushes them out, you can actually get more widespread damage than you would in the case of a tornado," explains Hasell. "So that looks like the more likely scenario for the storms we saw on Saturday."

Meanwhile, Hasell says there could be more wild weather to come, noting there is a chance of precipitation, with possible thunderstorms in the forecast a lot over the next week. And, after tomorrow, Hasell says daytime highs should be much closer to normal. For the rest of the week, highs are expected between 24 and 28 degrees. The normal high for this time of year is 24 degrees.