Campers in western parts of Saskatchewan experienced more of Mother Nature than they were hoping to over the Canada Day long weekend.
A pair of tornadoes made their way in and around a campground at Meadow Lakes Provincial Park late Saturday afternoon, trapping people in the area.
“These systems can move quite slowly. Not the thunderstorms themselves, but the system that creates the thunderstorms. It was more over western Saskatchewan on Sunday,” Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang said.
Thunderstorms and wind gusts were scattered across the province on Monday.
Weather conditions caused delays to a handful of events including Canada Day fireworks and the regular season CFL game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts.
Wind gusts reached speeds up to 104 kilometres per hour at Saskatoon’s airport on Canada Day.
Environment Canada is also looking into reports of a tornado in Moose Jaw.
“A typical summer will bring an average of 13 or 14 tornadoes across Saskatchewan. So we’re just starting into the season. It goes all the way to mid-to-late July,” Lang said.
WATCH: Family vacationing at Saskatchewan campground takes cover as severe weather hits
While we’re in tornado season and extreme winds are expected, those on the ground said it was a first-time experience for them.
“It was just this super-fast event that happened in 15 minutes and left this path of destruction behind it really. I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Meadow Lake Provincial Park manager Trevor Finlay said.
He added the Murray Doell campground is a favourite for families, but will be closed indefinitely while crews look to clean up debris.
WATCH: Driver attempts to navigate falling trees as severe weather hits Saskatchewan provincial park
Environment Canada said the conditions for these tornadoes timed out perfectly.
The area of low-pressure formed thunderstorms and that, combined with the jet stream and sunshine, helped develop faster winds.
Lang is expecting the stormy weather to move along.
“But we are expecting more weather systems to come through. So more showers, thundershowers. We’re just in that kind of unsettled pattern that’s very typical for this time of year,” she said.
Lang added that people should be prepared and ready to be surrounded by four, solid walls if they find themselves in a storm.
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