A severe thunderstorm warning for Gatineau has been issued by Environment Canada. Gusts to 90 km/h and hail the size of a nickel are expected.
A cluster of severe thunderstorms is located near Ottawa and is moving north at 25 km/h. Areas affected by the warnings include Ottawa, Kanata, Nepean, Gloucester, Orleans, Metcalfe and Russell.
The federal agency warned that heavy rains could lead to flash flooding and water accumulation on roads. In addition, large hail may damage property and cause injury. Intense gusts of wind can also throw loose objects, damage fragile structures, tear branches from trees and overturn large vehicles.
At 4:10 p.m., Environment Canada issued a tornado warning in Gatineau for the Masson-Angers, Buckingham and Silver Creek sectors. It was removed at 4:25 p.m.
Early Monday evening, Environment Canada meteorologist Frédéric Dubuis could neither confirm nor deny whether a tornado had indeed occurred in this area, but the phenomenon will certainly be assessed by experts in the coming hours.
The federal agency must first receive information from its specialist observers who are spread across the country to get a first idea, and it will also scour social networks to find images or videos of the public. If necessary, meteorologists will travel to the field to render a verdict on the presence of a tornado.
With The Canadian Press