Tornado in northwestern Ontario, microburst at Manitoba's Caddy Lake in July confirmed

Justin Fiacconi · CBC News

· Posted: Aug 17, 2026 8:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 18

A tornado research project has confirmed one touched down east of the Manitoba-Ontario border on July 6, while an EF-0 microburst happened at Caddy Lake in Manitoba's Whiteshell Provincial Park that same day.

The Northern Tornadoes Project, based out of Western University in London, Ont., says the EF-2 tornado touched down at Deception Lake.

A microburst is a small and concentrated downburst. The estimated wind speed of the Caddy Lake microburst is under further review, but the Enhanced Fujita scale rating says an EF-0 can range from 90 to 130 km/h. 

Dave Sills, director of the Northern Tornadoes Project, says it wasn't until the project was able to look at satellite imagery that it was able to spot the tornado track and the microburst through Caddy Lake.

"We had some reports of damage and sent the damage survey team out, and then investigated a number of different locations near the Manitoba and Ontario border, but we didn't have a report from the tornado location," he said.

"It does take some time for the satellite image imagery to be available. You have to wait until all of the clouds have cleared, all the smoke is cleared, to get clear images to be able to see the damage."

It can sometimes take weeks for clear satellite imagery to be available, Sills said.

There were no reported injuries from either severe weather event, though the tornadoes project said the storms resulted in tree damage and damage to forested areas.

The microburst in Caddy Lake affected an area about 2.4 kilometres long and 1.6 kilometres wide.

The tornado at Deception Lake, Ont., had an estimated maximum wind speed of 190 km/h, with a track length of nearly 6.25 kilometres and a maximum path width of 700 metres, the Northern Tornadoes Project said.

A microburst is usually a smaller yet more intense type of downburst. Sills says the difference between a microburst and a tornado has to do with the direction air is moving.

"With a tornado, you've got air that's moving in towards the storm at the surface and then up into the storm," he said.

"With a downburst or microburst, the air is actually originating within the storm and then falling down out of the storm towards the surface, and then spreading out once it hits the surface."

Microbursts tend to leave a wider path of damage, Sills says.

Environment and Climate Change Canada told CBC News in early July that the storm brought high winds to areas of the Whiteshell Provincial Park but hadn't confirmed a tornado occurred. 

Many residents of the area in and around Caddy Lake said the storm rolled in very quickly and left several downed and uprooted trees. Residents who previously spoke with CBC News said there was damage to some cottages due to falling trees.

• 'Could have been a lot worse,' Whiteshell cottagers say after damaging thunderstorm

There have been 10 confirmed tornadoes in Manitoba this year, along with five downbursts, the Northern Tornadoes Project says.

Sills says it's been a particularly active season across the Prairies.

"So, in Manitoba we're up to 10 tornadoes, and the 30-year average for Manitoba is 8½. So, middle of August, and it's already higher than average," he said.

"In Manitoba, it's been more active than typical. And across the Prairies, certainly it's been more active than normal."