Tornado confirmed in rural south Ottawa | CBC News

A tornado was confirmed in rural south Ottawa Thursday evening and a second tornado warning was issued by Environment Canada for the Ottawa area.

The tornado is located 9 kilometres northwest of Metcalfe moving east at 50 km/h, according to an Environment Canada release at 6:53 p.m. ET.

Associated hazards include ping pong ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 90 km/h, the agency said.

Environment Canada issued a second tornado warning at 6:50 p.m. EDT for the area of Ottawa North-Kanata-Orléans.

It had previously issued a warning for the same area at 5:36 p.m. ET before later downgrading it to a tornado watch just before 6 p.m. The area of Ottawa South-Richmond-Metcalfe was under a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm warning.

Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm "that is producing a tornado," the agency said. "This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation."

Tornado watches mean storms could develop that could lead to a tornado. Tornado warnings mean a tornado has been reported or there's reliable information one is about to happen.

Tornado watches first issued around 11 a.m. covered Ottawa, Gatineau, western Quebec and eastern Ontario communities east of Ottawa to the Quebec border, west to Petawawa and Barry's Bay and south to Gananoque and Kaladar.

Tornadoes hit the area three weeks ago and a strong wind and hailstorm hit last Friday.

A severe thunderstorm watch covers the rest of eastern Ontario.