Could tornado sirens be used in Canada? Unlikely, weather experts say
Global News
Are cell phones the new tornado sirens? As twisters become more frequent in Canada, pressure is growing to be able to predict them more accurately.
More than 100 homes were damaged on July 13 when a tornado touched down in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven with little to no warning, and in the aftermath, some storm experts say it’s a sign work is needed to better improve warning systems.
Currently, when inclement weather is forecast in the country, Environment and Climate Change Canada shares that information through its website, the WeatherCAN app, Weatherradio network, and over social media platforms. Commercial and public broadcasters like the Weather Network also amplify alerts through TV programming and its own mobile app.
And when severe weather is considered a “threat to life,” the alerts are broadcast on TV, radio, and wireless devices through the country’s Alert Ready system, with provinces and territories responsible for transmitting those alerts through their own alerting systems.
But David Sills with the Northern Tornadoes Project, which aims to assess Canada’s true climatology to improve the country’s models for tornado warnings and make homes more resilient for tornadoes, says the system is only as good as the information sent to it.
“We really need to make sure that the warnings are getting out earlier,” he told Global News.
“It’s very difficult with tornadoes. Tornadoes are very difficult to forecast, and usually the target lead time is only 10 minutes,” he added.
“We really need to get better at being able to use radar, use other tools to look at a thunderstorm and to be able to tell whether it’s going to product a tornado or not and give us more time to react.”
Similar alert systems are used south of the border in the U.S., but one that is not as commonly found in Canada are tornado sirens — something used frequently in tornado-prone areas of the U.S.
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