Government of Canada launches improvements to tornado and thunderstorm warnings to help keep people in Canada safe

OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 12, 2026 /CNW/ -- Today, Environment and Climate Change Canada confirmed the launch of improvements to its severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings, helping people in Canada receive clearer, more timely information to stay safe during severe weather events.

Canadians rely on timely information to stay safe in volatile and potentially dangerous weather conditions. Environment and Climate Change Canada provides this information by issuing severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings with life-saving guidance, where and when it is needed most. To further improve this service, the Department is enhancing how it warns for convective weather:

• Forecasters can now target the area that they predict will experience the highest impacts and issue severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings to people only in that area. They do this by drawing a shape around the targeted areas. These shapes are called 'polygons'. These warning polygons are more targeted than the previous broader forecast zones.
• Semi-automated text generation enables forecasters to produce storm information simultaneously in both English and French, allowing convective weather warnings to be issued faster than ever before.
• Multiple warning polygons can be in effect in the same area at the same time, even overlapping one another. This gives forecasters the flexibility they need to track different threats and target safety information accordingly.

These changes apply to severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings only. Other weather alerts, like heat warnings or severe thunderstorm watches, continue to be issued according to pre-determined alert zones.

These improvements are expected to reduce the number of Alert Ready alerts mobile users receive on their phones. Most importantly, remember to always read your weather alerts and follow the safety advice they contain.

Quotes

"Precise and timely summer storm warnings help keep communities safe when facing dangerous weather. Improvements to our alerting system help ensure people in Canada get the weather safety information they need, when they need it. Environment and Climate Change Canada is continuously working to improve services to Canadians to keep them safe from hazardous weather."
– The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature

Quick facts

• Thunderstorms remain one of Canada's most frequent hazardous weather types, producing potentially life-threatening lightning, hail, damaging winds, flash floods, and tornadoes. When thunder roars, go indoors!
• As Canada's official source for weather forecasts and alerts, Environment and Climate Change Canada is modernizing its public weather program to better serve Canadians.
  • Late last year, the Department successfully introduced colour-coded weather alerts.
  • Earlier this summer, Environment and Climate Change Canada introduced Thunderstorm Outlooks that provide early notification of potential storm activity and help people in Canada plan in advance.
  • Over the next year, the Department will continue to launch a series of initiatives to improve its services, ensuring Canadians have the most accurate weather information when they need it most.
• For the latest forecasts and severe weather alerts, Canadians can visit Canada.ca/weather or download the WeatherCAN mobile app, which is available for free on Android and iOS devices.

Related products

• New Targeted Warnings for Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes (Backgrounder)

Associated links

• Canada.ca/weather
• Canada.ca/weather-alerts
• Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
• Lightning Safety Overview
• Alert Ready

Environment and Climate Change Canada's X page

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page

Environment and Natural Resources in Canada's Facebook page

Environment and Climate Change Canada's LinkedIn page

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Instagram page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

Contacts: Chris Zhou, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, 343-597-9415, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected]