Severe thunderstorms and tornado watches end for much of Southern Ontario

Much of southern Ontario wasunder a severe thunderstorm warning Saturday,with someareas are facing tornado watches,according to Environment Canada.

Alerts were issued at 4:45 p.m., warning residents ofYork-Durham,Belleville-Quinte-Northumberland,Peterborough-Kawartha Lakes, Brockville andKingston, among others, that "conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms which may produce tornadoes."

Tornado warnings for thePicton-Sandbanks Park area and Kingston were later downgraded to watches before ending. Belleville,Kingston-Prince Edward and Stirling-Tweed-SouthFrontenacwerealsounder tornado watches, which have now ended. As of 10:50 p.m. a tornado watch remained in effect for Brockville.

Tornado watchesissued earlier for for Pickering, Oshawa, southern Durham Region, Uxbridge, Beaverton and northern Durham region ended by the middle of Saturday evening.

Environment Canada issueswatches when"atmospheric conditions are favourable for the development of thunderstorms that could produce tornadoes" and issues warnings"when imminent or occurring thunderstorms are likely to produce or are producing tornadoes."

Environment Canada was also trackinga severe thunderstorm expected to affect most of the GTA, but cancelled that watch by 8 p.m.