Environment Canada confirms 3 tornadoes touched down in southwestern Ontario

Environment Canada has confirmed threetornadoes touched down insouthwestern Ontario Tuesday evening.

• Severe thunderstorm warning for Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent has ended

The agency said in a statement that a confirmed tornado touched down in the McGregor area, another one was noticed south ofComberand a probable tornado affected the Amherstburg area.

InAmherstburg, the weather service agency said thedamage wasconsistent withEF-0damage, which is the lowest intensityon the Enhanced Fujita Scale, the measurementCanadian meteorologists use to assess the speed of tornadoes.

"The reason we couldn't confirm it completely as a tornado isbecause the damage path inAmherstburgwas not long and narrow. However, because it does line up exactly with the tornado that was confirmed on the other side of the river inGibraltar, we are able to call this one a probable tornado," said meteorologistKelly Hobelman.

The damage of the McGregor tornado wasindicative of an EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of about 150 km/h, said Hobelman.The damage path left behind had a length of about twokilometresand width of 50 metres.

The third tornado touched down in Staples, located between Comber and Leamington, in which winds of approximately 170 km/h led to damage representativeof an EF-1tornado. The damage path had a length of three kilometresand width of 50 metres.

Environment Canada said there were reports of a destroyed shed, damage to another building and a long trail of debris.

The agency said some of this information, "may contain preliminary or unofficial information and does not constitute a complete or final report."