A tornado warning for the Guelph and Waterloo area issued by Environment Canada on Wednesday evening has ended.
The agency said meteorologists were tracking a severe thunderstorm that could produce a tornado.
“Damaging winds, large hail and locally intense rainfall are also possible,” the warning said.
An emergency alert was issued in the area at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday.
“Environment Canada has issued a tornado warning for Southwestern Ontario,” the alert read.
The alert initially impacted Mount Forest, Arthur, Northern Wellington County, Guelph, Erin, Southern Wellington County, Kitchener, Cambridge and the Region of Waterloo.
In an update at 5:58 p.m., Environment Canada limited the tornado warning to Guelph, Erin and Southern Wellington County.
A further update at 6:11 p.m. said the storm was moving east at 75 km/h.
“Tornado warnings are issued when imminent or occurring thunderstorms are likely to produce or are producing tornadoes,” the warning said.
The warning was downgraded to a tornado watch around 6:23 p.m. and then removed altogether. The severe thunderstorm watches and warnings have also since ended.
Earlier on Wednesday, Environment Canada also issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Guelph and Waterloo Region as well as Wellington, Perth and Huron counties.
The agency said that thunderstorms were expected to arrive in the area Wednesday that could bring strong winds of up to 90 km/h, hail as large as a nickel, and torrential downpours.
“Large hail can damage property and cause injury. Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees and overturn large vehicles. Remember, severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes,” the warning reads.
“Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Stay indoors when a thunderstorm strikes.
“There isn’t a place outside that is safe during a thunderstorm.”
Environment Canada says it issues the watches when conditions appear favourable to produce a nasty storm that could produce large hail, damaging winds, or torrential rainfall.
— With files from Global News’ Isaac Callan