Environment Canada issued 124 tornado warnings across the country by July 22, 2026, surpassing the total alerts sent during previous full years despite recording only 74 actual touchdowns, according to federal weather agency data.
In comparison, the agency issued 107 warnings and logged 116 tornadoes in 2023, followed by 100 warnings and 132 recorded touchdowns in 2024.
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The federal agency noted that warning numbers can fall below total touchdowns because a single alert often covers multiple twisters in one region.
Severe weather activity continued into late July as forecasters detected rotation, potential golf-ball-sized hail, and 52 millimeters of rainfall near Temiskaming Shores, Ontario, on July 27.
Days earlier, on July 21, emergency alert systems briefly issued warnings stretching from Ottawa to Hawkesbury before lifting them.
Experts Weigh In on Warning Frequency
David Sills, director of Western University's Northern Tornadoes Project, welcomed the increased alert frequency despite potential false alarms.
"Certainly there can be false alarms when you send out those warnings, but that's the choice: either you're increasing the number and having a bit more false alarms, or you're just missing tornadoes," Sills said.
The Northern Tornadoes Project had previously issued a failing report card for the agency's warning system in 2022 after data showed missed twisters and delayed alerts.
Sills noted that 2026 has been his team's busiest year since launching in 2017, tracking 83 total tornadoes nationwide by late July, including 70 across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
