Possible tornado tears through Laurentians, damages homes and power lines
A tornado signature was detected between Bell Falls and Lake Macdonald on Tuesday evening, destroying buildings and knocking down Hydro-Québec infrastructure near Harrington.
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A possible tornado tore through Quebec's Laurentians on Tuesday evening, causing what officials are calling severe damage near Harrington.
A tornado signature was detected by Environment and Climate Change Canada between Bell Falls and Lake Macdonald from 5:24 p.m. to 5:42 p.m. on July 22. ECCC meteorologist Dominic Martel said the tornado moved a house, destroyed a wooded area, and knocked down Hydro-Québec power poles as it passed.
"When we look at the map of power outages, it matches perfectly with the path of the rotation we detected on the radar," Martel said. A formal investigation will follow to confirm the classification.
Severe thunderstorm watches had been in effect across the region since the start of Tuesday. By evening, weather conditions calmed and most watches were lifted as the main threat passed.
By the numbers
When and where was the tornado signature detected?
Between 5:24 p.m. and 5:42 p.m. on July 22, 2026, Environment and Climate Change Canada detected a tornado signature between Bell Falls and Lake Macdonald in Quebec's Laurentians.
What damage did the tornado cause?
The tornado moved a house, destroyed a wooded area, and knocked down Hydro-Québec power poles near Harrington.
