Strong Winds That Hit Ottawa Reached 190 Km/h, Say Researchers

Hydro infrastructure and trees sit broken on a street in the Ottawa Valley municipality of Carleton Place, Ont. on May 23, 2022. A major storm hit the parts of Ontario and Quebec on May 21, 2022, leaving extensive damage to infrastructure. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

The storm that hit Ottawa on May 21 brought strong winds that reached 190 kilometres per hour in some areas, a research group says.

The storm that left at least 8 people dead and thousands without power wasn’t caused by a tornado, but instead by what is known as a derecho—a devastating wind system that can travel long distances rapidly, according to Western University’s Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).