As a community on the shore of Lake Simcoe recovers from a low-grade tornado that touched down when a storm swept across southern Ontario, a meteorologist said the region could see more tornadoes.

“You can’t close the book on tornado season just because you’re done the dog days of summer,” Dave Phillips, a senior climatologist at Environment Canada, told CTVNews.ca Monday. 

The EF-1 tornado that struck Pefferlaw, Ont. had winds ranging from 150 to 175km/h. It was the fifth tornado of the season and Phillips said another tornado in Ashburn, Ont. is under investigation. Ontario is hit by 12 tornadoes a year on average.

Tornado season begins in May for eastern Canada while it hits its peak out West in July and August. Phillips noted Ontario has seen tornadoes well into November.

There should be fewer tornadoes going forward but the “fuel is still there,” said Phillips.

Friday’s staggering heat coupled with a “jungle-like humidity” and an incoming cold front triggered severe thunderstorms which can spin out into tornadoes.

Tornadoes are more likely to form around the Lake Simcoe region because of the cold air from the lake breeze. The spine of southern Ontario from Windsor to Barrie is known as “tornado alley” for this reason.

Saturday’s storm also produced downburst straight-line winds that caused some property damage. Downbursts are comparable to weak tornadoes but without the rotation and wider paths.

“Overall it was an interesting day but for property losses it certainly wasn’t up there among the big ones,” Phillips said.

He said the storm was largely beneficial and provided welcome rain in some areas. There were thunderstorm warnings in 20 cities, including Ottawa which received a record 74mm of rainfall. More rain is forecasted for Tuesday as a weakened tropical system from Louisiana passes through.

In a weather reversal, Phillips said Ontario farmers will benefit from the rain while areas out West can look forward to sunshine.

“We’ve been waiting for this turnaround,” said Phillips. “Overall I think we’ll be happy about that.”