A tornado warning issued for parts of southern Alberta on Tuesday afternoon has been downgraded to a severe thunderstorm warning, Environment and Climate Change Canada says. The federal weather agency issued the red tornado warning just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday as a severe thunderstorm that could produce a tornado hit Tide Lake, Ralston, Tilley, Patricia, Rolling Hills and Suffield. The warning was expanded to include the Medicine Hat just before 4 p.m. But shortly after 4 p.m., the weather agency downgraded the warning to an orange severe thunderstorm warning for those areas. ECCC says the thunderstorm is located 15 kilometres west of Suffield and moving southeast at about 65 kilometres per hour. The orange warning is the second-most severe on ECCC’s scale and is intended to communicate when severe weather is likely to result in significant damage. People in those areas are urged to immediately take cover indoors and protect themselves from flying debris in hail if stuck outside. The weather agency adds severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes, and anyone who hears roaring wind, sees a funnel cloud, flying debris or other threatening weather should take shelter immediately.
