117 confirmed tornadoes across Canada in 2022: Northern Tornadoes Project

A drone image depicts the narrow path of a tornado through crops in Payne, Ont. after a tornado touched down on August 29, 2022. (Source: Northern Tornadoes Project)

It was a busy year for meteorologists and weather researchers, with 117 confirmed tornadoes across Canada in 2022 — tying 2021 for the most in a single season — according to Western University’s Northern Tornadoes Project in London, Ont.

According to a release from the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP), 2022 recorded a total of 117 tornadoes across the country, tying 2021 for Canada’s highest-ever single season on record.

As seen in 2021, 29 of those tornadoes measured an EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Also measured were 94 downbursts, some of which also measured EF-2 intensity.

“The researchers noted that, fortunately, none of the investigated damage in 2022 was rated above EF2,” the release reads.

In total, the NTP conducted 447 severe weather investigations, including 392 high-resolution satellite imagery surveys, 12 aircraft surveys, 30 drone surveys and 34 ground surveys.

Of the 117 confirmed tornadoes in 2022, 80 were confirmed only through NTP investigations.

Fallen trees are seen at Waterloo Street and Hyman Street in London, Ont. after a severe thunderstorm passed through the region on May 21, 2022. (Source: Shivang Padhiyar)Because researchers continue are “constantly” analyzing severe weather data and new methods and tools of research are being developed, they said more tornadoes and downbursts may be added to the total over time.

“We’re getting closer to the 150 or so tornadoes that we projected for our national annual average based on statistical analysis, so it appears the number of ‘missing tornadoes’ in Canada is gradually dropping due to the continually improving efforts of NTP,” said David Sills, NTP executive director, in the release.

The most significant weather event of 2022 was a “catastrophic” spring derecho, which struck Ontario and Quebec on May 21. It is now considered one of the most deadly and costly thunderstorms on record in Canada, in which 12 people died, at least 12 more were injured, and more than $1 billion in insured loses were reported.

A powerful thunderstorm rolled through southern Ontario on May 21, 2022, damaging buildings, toppling trees, and even flipping a small aircraft at London's airport. (Source: Richard Wozniak)The storm path of the derecho took it 1,000 kilometres across Canada’s most densely populated region.

NTP researchers were deployed shortly after the storm, but it took the rest of the summer to fully investigate the weather event.

“The May 21 derecho was an extreme thunderstorm event that we will be studying for some time,” said Sills.

The Northern Tornadoes Project is a partnership between London’s Western University and ImpactWX which seeks to better understand tornado occurrences in Canada, mitigate harm to people and property, and future impacts from climate change.