Windsor's 2016 weather brought severe drought, tornadoes and mass flooding
From heat waves to floods, Windsor had a rough year of extreme weather
From an early drought that had farmers begging for rain to massive flooding that led to a state of emergency, the Windsor region had a rough year of extreme weather conditions.
The drought
First came the drought with very little rain falling on the region between mid-May and early July. Precipitation during this period was at about 28 per cent of normal levels, according to Environment Canada.
The drought that marked the first half of summer ended shortly after Canada Day. After that, about eight to 10 per cent more rain than normal hit the region for July, August and September.
The heat waves
Several heat waves hit the region this summer with an estimated 31 days of temperatures above 30 C.
Overall temperatures for June, July, August and September were all warmer than normal.
The tornadoes
Two tornadoes touched down in LaSalle and Windsor in late August, damaging homes, destroying some businesses and wreaking havoc on gas lines and roads in both communities.
The tornado in LaSalle came inland off the Detroit River and lasted only minutes. Severe weather experts say the second tornado that struck Windsor could have reached speeds of up to 210 km/h.
The floods
Mayors in Windsor and Tecumseh, Ont., declared a state of emergency for their communities after record rainfall led to massive flooding that created more than $100 million in insurance claims.
The floods earned Windsor and Tecumseh a place on a list of Canada's top weather stories for 2016.
