Ottawa - Eight tornadoes touched down in Canada's vast western plains this weekend, blowing vehicles off a main road, and destroying homes, farms, a fire hall and a flour mill, officials said on Sunday.

There were, however, no reports of serious injuries.

"We've had at least eight tornadoes in the past two days in Manitoba (province), and this is only the beginning of the severe weather season, so I expect we're going to have an active year," Dan Kulak, warning preparedness meteorologist at Environment Canada, said.

One of the twisters, with wind speeds up to 417km/h, cut a swath 300m wide and 5,5km long (through the town of Elie, Manitoba, south of Winnipeg.

Several vehicles were also picked up off the Trans Canada Highway west of the provincial capital and tossed into ditches.

"I saw a big purple cloud with a pointy bit coming down. It grew super wide, the entire sky was swirling above our car," Lori Cayer, who was driving when the storm hit suddenly, told public broadcaster CBC.

"Hail sounded like golf clubs pounding our car."

"It went through town and I saw the houses blow up around our car, saw stuff swirling round and round. The wind was green because trees were ripped apart and there were huge explosions when it hit hydro (lines)."

"It was collecting birds, shingles, you name it, going up thousands of feet in the air," said Elie resident Len Kindred.

According to Environment Canada, Manitoba experienced 15 tornadoes and 62 hail storms last year, compared to a long term (1984-2006) average of nine tornadoes and 25 hail storms. - Sapa-AFP

Original Source: Independent Online

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