A widespread tornado watch was issued for the Ottawa Valley Wednesday, with intense storms moving through western and central parts of Ontario.
Areas in our region covered by the watch included:
Renfrew – Arnprior – Calabogie, Petawawa – Pembroke – Cobden, Barry's Bay – Killaloe, Bancroft– Hastings Highlands – Denbigh, Kaladar – Bannockburn – Bon Echo Park, Belleville - Quinte – Northumberland.
There was also a severe thunderstorm warning for Renfrew – Arnprior – Calabogie, Petawawa – Pembroke – Cobden, Belleville - Quinte – Northumberland, Upper Gatineau, the Pontiac.
Environment Canada said the threat of storms was expected to reach the Upper Ottawa Valley by 8 p.m. Wednesday.
However, as of 11:19 p.m. Wednesday, Environment Canada had ended all tornado watches except in the Belleville area.
The agency had said the storms had the potential to create isolated tornadoes, and could have brought large hail, damaging winds and torrential downpours.
A watch means conditions capable of producing severe weather exist. A warning means severe weather is either imminent or occurring.
There were tornado warnings in effect for areas west of downtown Toronto including Hamilton, Mississauga and Oakville, which were hit by large thunderstorms.
As of 11:19 p.m. Wednesday the only tornado warnings in effect were in the Windsor area.
The weather alert comes days after a powerful F3 tornado developed in Goderich, Ont., a town on Lake Huron, located about three hours west of Toronto.
The tornado left one person dead and 37 injured. The storm devastated the town, tearing off roofs and damaging several buildings.
The town council declared Goderich a disaster area earlier this week. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty also pledged $5 million for the town's clean-up and rebuilding efforts.
