Friday, July 3, 2026
ADVT 
National

Low-grade tornado hit UBC, weather office confirms

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Nov, 2021 05:40 PM
  • Low-grade tornado hit UBC, weather office confirms

VANCOUVER - Environment Canada says a tornado with wind speeds up to 110 kilometres per hour passed over the University of British Columbia in Vancouver on Saturday.

The weather office confirmation comes after a survey of the damage, which found broken and uprooted trees, debris, downed power lines and a damaged vehicle.

An update posted Monday afternoon says the preliminary rating of EF0, which is the lowest on the Fujita tornado scale, could change if more information becomes available.

Environment Canada had previously reported a tornado over the Strait of Georgia just west of the Vancouver International Airport at about 5 p.m. on Nov. 6.

The weather office says the storm then swept over a section of the University of B.C. campus, where buses, pedestrians and cyclists were diverted from a main access road that was still being cleared of fallen trees and branches on Monday.

No one was hurt and the Environment Canada tornado watch was quickly lifted.

British Columbia has been hit by a series of unusual weather events, ranging from a heat dome in late June that created the hottest-ever temperatures recorded in Canada, to two so-called bomb cyclones that hammered the south coast last month.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Witnesses sought following hit and run involving a cyclist: Richmond RCMP

Witnesses sought following hit and run involving a cyclist: Richmond RCMP
The cyclist said he was riding Eastbound on Granville Ave in the bicycle lane when a silver Honda SUV allegedly clipped the back of his bicycle causing him to lose control.

Witnesses sought following hit and run involving a cyclist: Richmond RCMP

Falcon faces pointed Liberal debate questions

Falcon faces pointed Liberal debate questions
Kevin Falcon, a former minister of finance, health and transportation in the Liberal governments of premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark, faced repeated questions Tuesday about his reasons for seeking the leadership after leaving politics in 2012.

Falcon faces pointed Liberal debate questions

K to Grade 3 students in Vancouver to wear masks

K to Grade 3 students in Vancouver to wear masks
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has resisted calls by parents and teachers to require all students to wear the face coverings, saying ventilation and limitations to intermingling between classes in different grades are also important factors.

K to Grade 3 students in Vancouver to wear masks

Group wants a minister who 'supports gun control'

Group wants a minister who 'supports gun control'
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the group PolySeSouvient calls for the appointment of a minister who "truly supports gun control." PolySeSouvient has frequently expressed frustration with Liberal efforts to strengthen gun laws, led in recent years by Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief, as public safety minister.

Group wants a minister who 'supports gun control'

All miners on surface following rescue operation

All miners on surface following rescue operation
Lewis said the last miner to emerge from the ground was taken away in an ambulance as a precautionary measure, but "walked onto the ambulance and was giving fist bumps to the mine rescue team in the warm room."

All miners on surface following rescue operation

Alberta and Saskatchewan need COVID lockdowns: CMA

Alberta and Saskatchewan need COVID lockdowns: CMA
Dr. Katharine Smart, president of the national association, is urging the federal and provincial governments to take immediate action. The association is calling for short, controlled lockdowns, often called "firebreakers" or "circuit-breakers," which would close schools and non-essential businesses.

Alberta and Saskatchewan need COVID lockdowns: CMA