Stormy and Active: How the storm that hit Ottawa on Saturday formed

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David Phillips, a senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, said Saturday’s storm conditions were different from a tornado-generating system, with winds in a straight line rather than spinning.

The scene from Maryvale Road on Viewmount Drive on Sunday, May 22, 2022. Cars were caught under wires with many hydro pillars removed. Merivale Road is closed in this area. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

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All indications were of thunderstorms in the Ottawa region on Saturday, but even veteran forecasters did not predict hurricane gusts or the vast area that would cover the storm.

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David Phillips, a senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, observed the conditions at his home in Orilia.

“Friday seemed like a stormy and active day,” he said, a mixture of cool and hot air at risk of thunderstorms.

“All day (Saturday) I couldn’t get over the fact that the temperature in Ottawa was 30 degrees and the humidity was 38. There has never been a scarier day in Ottawa this year.

“What’s the weather? This is when the warm air absorbs it with the cold air. This is essentially the place where you get stormy weather. ” And in the spring, “warm air is never too far from cold.”

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1. Merivale Road near Viewmount Drive. The cars are caught under wires with many lower poles. Merivale Road is also closed in the area. Photo by Ashley Fraser / jpg

2. The scene from Maryvale Road on Viewmount Drive on Sunday, May 22, 2022. Cars were caught under wires with many water ladders lowered. Merivale Road is closed in the area. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

3. The main hydro lines fell along 417 at the Hunt Club on May 22, 2022. Photo by ASHLEY FRASER / Postmedia

4. Aftermath of the storm, May 22, 2022. The Hunt Club and Conroy Roads Esso station opened on Sunday morning, May 22, 2022. There were queues of people filling gas containers. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

5. Aftermath of the storm, May 22, 2022. The Hunt Club and Conroy Roads Esso station opened on Sunday morning, May 22, 2022. There were queues of people filling gas containers. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

6. The aftermath of the storm, May 22, 2022. Hawthorne’s road was closed due to damaged power lines on Sunday morning, May 22, 2022. Photo: ASHLEY FRASER / Postmedia

7. A tree branch fell on the roof of a house on Belmont Avenue. Owner Hendrick Woods said there did not appear to be much structural damage. He was sitting in the yard with his phone waiting to wait to tell the city. Photo by Jacquie / Postmedia

8. A powerful storm swept through Ottawa on Saturday, knocking down trees and flooding streets. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

9. Storm clouds hovered over the western tip of Ottawa before a strong thunderstorm hit the region on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

10. A huge tree fell during a storm Saturday afternoon in the front yard of a house on Belmont Avenue near Belwood Avenue in Old Ottawa South. Photo by Jackie Miller / Postmedia

11. A huge tree fell during a storm Saturday afternoon in the front yard of a house on Belmont Avenue near Belwood Avenue in Old Ottawa South. Photo by Jackie Miller / Postmedia

12. A powerful storm swept through Ottawa on Saturday, knocking down trees and flooding streets. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

13. A powerful storm swept through Ottawa on Saturday, knocking down trees and flooding streets. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

14. A tree branch fell on the back roof of a canopy of a house on Cameron Avenue in Old Ottawa South during a storm on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Jackie Miller / Postmedia

15. A tree branch fell on the back roof of a canopy of a house on Cameron Avenue in Old Ottawa South during a storm on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Jackie Miller / Postmedia

16. A powerful storm swept through Ottawa on Saturday, knocking down trees and flooding streets. Cleaning Smyth Road. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

17. A powerful storm swept through Ottawa on Saturday, knocking down trees and flooding streets. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

18. A powerful storm swept through Ottawa on Saturday, knocking down trees and flooding streets. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

19. A powerful storm swept through Ottawa on Saturday, knocking down trees and flooding streets. Neighbors are cleaning Weston Avenue in Ottawa. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

20. A powerful storm swept through Ottawa on Saturday, knocking down trees and flooding streets. John Tkachevsky and Agatha Havrilak watch a fallen tree on Weston Drive. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

21. A powerful storm swept through Ottawa on Saturday, knocking down trees and flooding streets. Agatha Havrilak took a picture of a fallen tree on Weston Drive after the storm. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

22. Storm clouds hovered over the western tip of Ottawa before a strong thunderstorm hit the region on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

23. Storm clouds hovered over the western tip of Ottawa before a strong thunderstorm hit the region on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

24. A huge tree fell during a storm Saturday afternoon in the front yard of a house on Belmont Avenue near Belwood Avenue in Old Ottawa South. Photo by Jackie Miller / Postmedia

25. Broken waterways closed Shea Road in Stitsville after a wild storm on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Blair Crawford / Postmedia

26. A tree appears to have been burned by lightning in Windsor Park on Saturday, May 21, 2022. Photo by Jackie Miller / Postmedia

27. Paul McMahon (wearing a yellow helmet) and his son Matt are working to remove the huge tree that crushed their new Honda on the driveway of their Lizard Street home. Photo by Blair Crawford / Postmedia

28. Paul McMahon and his son Matt had to work to remove the huge tree that crushed their new Honda on the driveway of their home on Lizard Street. Photo by Blair Crawford / Postmedia

29. Ottawa fire services closed Stitsville’s main street on Saturday due to fallen power lines and fallen trees. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

30. The Ottawa fire closed Stitsville’s main street due to fallen power lines and fallen trees. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

31. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were hit hard by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. People in the area along Stitsville Main Street worked hard as a community to quickly clear the streets and clear fallen trees. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

32. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa area were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. Firefighters ran down Carlton Cathcart Street. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

33. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. A man peered out the window at the large amount of damage to a residence on Carlton Cathcart Street. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

34. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. A man peered out the window at the large amount of damage to a residence on Carlton Cathcart Street. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

35. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa area were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. Firefighters ran down Carlton Cathcart Street. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

36. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. A woman is assessing the damage to her front yard of a home on Stitsville Main Street. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

37. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. A woman is assessing the damage to her front yard of a home on Stitsville Main Street. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

38. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. People in the area along Stitsville Main Street worked hard as a community to quickly clear the streets and clear fallen trees. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

39. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. Photo: Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

40. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. People in the area along Stitsville Main Street worked hard as a community to quickly clear the streets and clear fallen trees. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

41. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. Photo: Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

42. The Stitsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were affected by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. A large amount of damage to a home on Carlton Cathcart Street. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

43. The Stittsville area and many other parts of the Ottawa region were hit by a powerful storm on Saturday, May 21, 2022. People in the Stuttsville area …