Twisters in Saskatchewan
As the summer movie Twisters stirs up interest in the fierce power of tornadoes on the big screen, it’s worth taking a closer look at them. Tornadoes, or “twisters,” are a force of nature, capable of causing widespread devastation. Saskatchewan, with its vast, flat landscape and extreme weather conditions, is no stranger to these natural events.
Tornadoes in Saskatchewan are typically spawned by severe thunderstorms, which develop during the province’s warm summer months. Tornadoes need four ingredients to form: warm humid air near the surface, colder air above, a strong variation of winds, and a fast-moving storm front. This collision of air masses creates instability in the atmosphere, leading to the development of supercell thunderstorms—a key ingredient for tornado formation.
Saskatchewan’s flat terrain allows tornadoes to travel across the land with little obstruction, often making them highly visible and, in some cases, predictable. However, this same landscape can also contribute to the twisters’ destructive power, as they have little to slow them down or diminish their strength.
Over the years, Saskatchewan has witnessed some of Canada’s most intense tornadoes. Here are a few notable twisters that have struck the province:
The deadliest tornado in Canadian history, the Regina Cyclone in 1912, tore through the city on June 30, 1912. This F4 tornado, with winds estimated at over 330 km/h, left a trail of destruction, killing 28 people and hundreds of injuries. The tornado flattened hundreds of buildings and caused damage equivalent to millions of dollars today.
Another F4-rated tornado was at Kamsack on August 9, 1944; it resulted in three dead, forty-four injured, and many buildings in the town were destroyed.
Narrow Hills Provincial Park, northwest of Nipawin, was visited by a tornado on July 2, 2003, which destroyed several residential trailers, turned over a tractor-trailer unit, and caused a number of injuries; the storm also dropped baseball-sized hail that is typical of tornado-producing thunderstorms.
Fortunately, such events have been rare. Most of the province’s reported tornadoes are weak (F0 or F1) and do only limited damage; many touch down only on fields or woodland. Advances in meteorology and early warning systems have improved the ability to predict and track these storms, giving residents more time to take shelter.
However, it’s essential to have a safety plan in place. Knowing where to take shelter, whether it’s a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room away from windows, can be life-saving. Additionally, staying informed through weather alerts and understanding the signs of an impending tornado can provide valuable minutes to act.
Twisters is playing at the Kindersley Sunset Theatre on Aug 16th – 22nd
Rated PG
Showtimes:
Fri, Sat, Sun, Tues, Thurs: 7:00pm
No Shows Mon, Wed
Source: https://esask.uregina.ca/, thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
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