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Cleanup begins after tornado rips through rural south Ottawa

Residents in parts of southern Ottawa are left picking up debris after a tornado hit the area Thursday evening.

Environment Canada confirmed tornado northwest of Metcalfe

Timelapse of funnel cloud forming in south Ottawa

36 minutes ago

Duration 0:21

This timelapse video shows a funnel cloud forming in South Ottawa on Thursday afternoon. Submitted by Gustavo Furlanetto.

Residents in parts of southern Ottawa are left picking up debris after a Tornado tore through the area Thursday evening.

Environment Canada confirmed a tornado formed northwest of Metcalfe Thursday as residents across the area reported hail, driving winds and downed trees.

Jacques Jodoin, who lives near Kelly Farm Drive in Ottawa's Findlay Creek neighbourhood, said he saw a funnel cloud forming from his back yard.

"I saw the turning… cushions and garbage bins and everything turning," he said. "I saw everything turning and grabbing speed so then I ran in the house and went downstairs with my family."

The storm also toppled fences, uprooted trees and downed power lines along Albion Road South.

Steve Spratt, who lives along Albion, said he was shocked that such storms appear to be growing more common in the region.

Tornadoes hit the area three weeks ago, while a strong wind and hailstorm hit last Friday.

"This is new to Ottawa, and new to us," Pratt said. "We grew up in Ottawa and this wasn't happening when I was a kid."

The tornado was located nine kilometres northwest of Metcalfe moving east at 50 km/h, according to a 6:53 p.m. ET news release from Environment Canada.

Associated hazards included ping pong ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 90 km/h, the agency said.

Environment Canada had issued a second tornado warning Thursday at 6:50 p.m. for the area of Ottawa North-Kanata-Orléans and lifted it shortly after 7 p.m.

In a tweet, Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) said part of a roof had been ripped off a home on the 4000 block of Canyon Drive in Riverside South.

OFS also said in a tweet it had closed Albion Road in both directions just north of the Rideau Carleton Casino due to downs trees and wires.

<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OttNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OttNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ottawa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ottawa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OttawaStorm?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OttawaStorm</a> <a href="https://t.co/9SjgvBvaBt">https://t.co/9SjgvBvaBt</a> <a href="https://t.co/PlmRHsVUcA">pic.twitter.com/PlmRHsVUcA</a>

&mdash;@OttFire

Steve Desroches, city councillor for Riverside South-Findlay, tweeted that two 911 calls were related to roof damage, but no injuries have been reported.

Environment Canada had previously issued a warning for the same area at 5:36 p.m. before later downgrading it to a tornado watch just before 6 p.m. At that time, the area of Ottawa South-Richmond-Metcalfe was under a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm warning.

Tornado watches mean storms may develop that could lead to a tornado. Tornado warnings mean a tornado has been reported or reliable information suggests one is about to happen.

Tornado watches first issued around 11 a.m. covered Ottawa, Gatineau, western Quebec and Ontario communities east of Ottawa to the Quebec border, west to Petawawa and Barry's Bay and south to Gananoque and Kaladar.

A severe thunderstorm watch covered the rest of eastern Ontario.

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Credit belongs to : www.cbc.ca

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