A weak downburst with winds reaching up to 130 km/h hit northwest of Aylmer, Ont., during the severe thunderstorms on Saturday, according to researchers from the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).
This weather event occurred around 1:50 p. m. near Mapleton, leaving a damage path roughly seven kilometres long and three kilometres wide, as reported by the team from Western University in a blog post released on Thursday.
No injuries were reported; however, the straight-line winds caused damage to barns, trees, and crops while also disrupting power for some residents.
The most severe damage was noted at a farm along Dorchester Road, south of Mapleton Line, where a barn’s roof was torn off.
Researchers estimated peak wind speeds at 130 km/h, which gave the event an EF0 rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale – the lowest level used for classifying tornadoes and downbursts. Ratings go from EF0 to EF5.
The worst damage was found at a farm along Dorchester Road, where the roof of a barn building was blown off by the winds. (Northern Tornadoes Project)
A downburst is a strong of sinking air that spreads out after hitting ground level, creating damaging straight-line winds. Unlike tornadoes, these winds do not rotate.
As per NTP’s online dashboard, southwestern Ontario has experienced at least six tornadoes and five downbursts so far this year. Eight have been classified as EF0 while three have been rated EF1.
On May 19, a series of severe thunderstorms generated three tornadoes and one downburst in the London area within just 40 minutes. Additionally, both a weak tornado and microburst were recorded north of London on May 13.
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