Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has introduced a new warning system for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms that it says allows for more precision when it comes to severe weather.
Using the Convective Alert Modernization (CAM) system launched on Aug. 11, weather forecasters can now issue alerts to the specific areas directly in the path of dangerous weather.
“Our forecasters can now target the area most likely to experience the highest impacts and issue severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings to people in only that area,” ECCC officials stated. “Forecasters identify these targeted areas by drawing a shape around them called a ‘polygon.’”
Under the old system, storm warnings were issued for larger, pre-determined alert zones, so many people received warnings when they were unlikely to be affected.
“Many predetermined alert zones are large and geographically spread out, meaning a weather alert that affects one part of a zone may not affect another,” officials stated. “Targeted warnings mean that people who receive an alert are more likely to experience impacts.
Forecasters can now issue multiple severe thunderstorm or tornado warnings in the same area at the same time, even overlapping them. This makes it possible to track different threats within the same, or different, storm systems.
This new ability allows forecasters to provide detailed storm-specific information, such as timing and location, as well as target safety guidance to each hazard, officials stated.
For the latest forecasts and severe weather alerts, visit: Canada.ca/weather
