By Rod Nickel
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, July 28 (Reuters) - A tornado spun for
several hours through southwestern Manitoba late Monday in a
fierce Canadian Prairie storm that caused flash flooding and
shredded part of a highway.
No injuries or major damage was reported, according to a
statement by Environment Canada, federal weather forecaster.
"What was just shocking was the duration on the ground, for
2-1/2 to three hours," said David Phillips, senior climatologist
at Environment Canada.
Photos on social media showed torn-up asphalt on one
Manitoba highway and pooling water in Regina, Saskatchewan.
A large tornado developed near Pierson, Manitoba, on Monday
evening, moving north of the town of Virden by late evening,
Environment Canada said.
Further west, the storm dumped 78 millimeters (3.1 inches)
of rain on Regina, part of a crop-growing area desperate for
rain this summer.
The downpour was the wettest July day on record for Regina,
the Saskatchewan capital, and included 18 hours of rain,
Phillips said.
So much rain alleviates severely dry conditions, but is not
an immediate fix, he said.
Near the Canada-U.S. border, Coronach, Saskatchewan,
recorded 85 mm (3.3 inches), according to Environment Canada
data. Heavy rain largely missed Alberta, where some of the
driest farms are located.
Environment Canada warned of further heavy rainfall on
Tuesday for parts of southern and central Saskatchewan.
(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)