Quebec records six tornadoes in two months as weather patterns shift eastward
An EF-0 tornado hit Repentigny on August 2, the province's third twister in less than two weeks, prompting questions about frequency even as experts say this year remains relatively quiet.
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Quebec recorded its sixth tornado in just two months when an EF-0 twister touched down in Repentigny on August 2, uprooting trees, ripping shingles off roofs, and sending backyard objects flying. Winds reached up to 130 km/h. Nobody was injured.
The Repentigny tornado was the province's third in less than two weeks, prompting residents to ask whether severe weather is becoming more frequent. Local resident Ruben Axel told reporters that summer storms seem to intensify more each year. "The more the years go by the more intense summer storms get," he said, "and the more mess it makes." While some homes escaped major damage, others had roofs torn off by the strong winds.
Despite the cluster, the Repentigny twister was relatively weak — classified as an EF-0, at the upper end of the weakest category on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The track was only 1 kilometre long and about 100 metres wide. David Sills, director of the Northern Tornadoes Project, said the twister was "actually pretty brief."
Quebec's tornado season typically runs from May to October. Six tornadoes within two months isn't "anything unusual," Sills said, even though it feels like a dense cluster. The province usually receives up to 11 tornadoes annually, meaning 2026 has been a relatively quiet year overall. "Weather patterns this year have just not been conducive to tornadic storms as much in the eastern part of the country," he said.
However, climate change is altering the distribution of tornadoes across Canada. Ontario and Quebec have experienced more tornadoes over the past 40 years, while the Prairies have seen fewer. Sills attributed this to shifts in long-term weather patterns: "We're seeing more and more that we get locked into patterns long term. What that does is it results in droughts in certain places, and that leads to fires. It results in a lot of rain in other places." Researchers caution that it will take years of data to determine whether tornadoes are becoming more common in Quebec.
The facts
How many tornadoes has Quebec recorded in 2026?
Quebec recorded six tornadoes in two months in 2026, with an EF-0 tornado touching down in Repentigny on August 2.
What damage did the Repentigny tornado cause?
The Repentigny tornado uprooted trees, ripped shingles off roofs, sent backyard objects flying, and tore roofs off some homes. Winds reached up to 130 km/h, but nobody was injured.
How many tornadoes does Quebec typically experience annually?
Quebec usually receives up to 11 tornadoes annually during its typical season from May to October.
