Environment Canada confirms three Wednesday tornadoes, including one near Arthur

Ominous clouds are seen in this file photo. (David T. Chapman/Twitter)

Three tornadoes touched down in central Ontario on Wednesday, including one in Wellington County, Environment Canada has confirmed.

The tornadoes were part of a line of severe thunderstorms that developed late Wednesday afternoon.

The first touched down in Orillia around 4:30 p.m., with another landing in Carnarvon, north of Minden, half an hour later.

Another tornado then hit the ground east of Arthur around 5:50 p.m., believed to be 4.5 kilometres long and 100 metres wide.

The Orillia and Arthur tornadoes have both been classified as EF-0 tornadoes, meaning wind speeds were between 90 and 130 km/h.

The Carnarvon tornado has not been classified, with an inspection of the area slated for Friday.

In the Arthur area, Environment Canada storm inspectors were on-site Thursday, inspecting damage and interviewing eyewitnesses.

One of those witnesses was Greg Hunter, who was driving in the area when the tornado hit.

“Just east of town, we saw the funnel cloud come down and take out seven or eight huge pine trees, just tip them over like they were nothing,” he tells CTV News.

The tornado then moved across the road, taking out a sign welcoming drivers to Wellington North Township in the process.

“It continued across a vacant field and then into a cornfield where it dropped an acre or two of corn, just flattened it right into the ground,” says Hunter.

None of the tornadoes are believed to have caused significant damage.

Wednesday’s three tornadoes bring the total for 2013 in Ontario up to 14, above the average of 12.