London Amateur Radio Club Public Service

London Amateur Radio Club

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Another very important aspect of ham radio is public service, where hams provide their communications skills to support public safety and security in activities such as:

ARES - Amateur Radio Emergency Services

Providing communications services for simulated and real emergencies through ARES.  If you want to get involved, contact the ARES London Emergency Co-ordinator (Doug Elliott, VA3DAE) or anyone on your club executive

For details on ARES in the London area, look at the LARC ARES Webpage.
ARES Activities

Weekly ARES net, Wednesday at 7:30 PM on VE3OME, 145.450 MHz

ARES practice exercise, 3rd Wednesday of the month, in place of ARES net

Summary of recent ARES Activity

Ontario ARES nets

CANWARN

You can spot and report severe weather through CANWARN (NOTE that this is NOT "stormchasing"). For more information visit the National CANWARN web page, read the CANWARN Fact Sheet (pdf) join the CANWARN mailing list. Talk to your club executive if you want to get involved.

Check for severe weather that is predicted or already happening in our area:

Environment Canada Public Weather Warning Map for Southern Ontario

Environment Canada's current weather warning text for London - Middlesex

Environment Canada Special Weather Statement / Convective Weather Forecast

MNR's Flooding Status Report

Environment Canada's London area Weather radar

Intellicast's Detroit area Weather radar

Intellicast's Michigan area annotated Weather radar

Hydro One's Current Power Outages: Distribution System Status - Southern Ontario

You can get email alerts for severe weather - register here.

Have a look at recent CANWARN activity

Here are the local CANWARN area maps (these are PDF, to get the free reader you click here to get it). These files are LARGE, it is best to right click on the link and save to your hard disk to view and print:

CanwarnGrd1 Essex, Kent, Lambton Counties

CanwarnGrd2 London, Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Perth

CanwarnGrd3 Huron, Waterloo, Wellington, Bruce and Grey

CanwarnGrd4 Hamilton-Wentworth, Haldimand-Norfolk, Niagara, Brant

Providing communication support for events such as parades, walkathons and marathons. Volunteers are often canvassed for at club meetings, or discuss how to get involved with one of the executive.

Copyright 2000-6 London Amateur Radio Club
Feedback to webmaster@larc.ca

Recent CANWARN Activity
Date CANWARN Event Description

July 10, 2007 Severe thunderstorm watch issued at 10:19, watch ended at 18:49.

July 9, 2007 Severe thunderstorm watch issued at 13:49, warning at 14:21, warning ended at 16:47, watch ended at 21:15.

June 27, 2007 Severe thunderstorm watch issued at 10:30, warning at 14:43, warning ended at 17:20, watch ended at 19:08. Dave Steels VE3UZ provided this picture of hail that fell in Byron, and added that a good portion of it was the larger size pieces

June 19, 2007 Severe thunderstorm watch issued at 13:16, warning at 13:53, watch ended at 15:37

June 4, 2007 Evening storms resulted in a watch, but no warnings or CANWARN net. Here are the alerts that were sent out by Environment Canada's automated eWarning service: (Note that the email comes out within a couple minutes of the alert being issued - can't get much faster notice than that.)
___________________________

From: WeatherOffice [mailto:weatheroffice @ ec.gc.ca]
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 6:36 PM
To: va3dae @ rac.ca
Subject: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED For London

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED For London BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA BULLETIN ISSUED AT: 6:34 PM EDT MONDAY 4 JUNE 2007 Copyright © 2007 Environment Canada
___________________________

From: WeatherOffice [mailto:weatheroffice @ ec.gc.ca]
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 7:28 PM
To: va3dae @ rac.ca
Subject: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED For London

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED For London BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA BULLETIN ISSUED AT: 7:26 PM EDT MONDAY 4 JUNE 2007 Copyright © 2007 Environment Canada
___________________________

From: WeatherOffice [mailto:weatheroffice @ ec.gc.ca]
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 8:14 PM
To: va3dae @ rac.ca
Subject: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ENDED For London

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ENDED For London BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA BULLETIN ISSUED AT: 8:11 PM EDT MONDAY 4 JUNE 2007 Copyright © 2007 Environment Canada
May 15, 2007
CANWARN net held in the evening as a series of severe thunderstorms rolled through the London area. This was posted on the Environment Canada Special Weather Statement page ...
AWCN11 CWTO 162049
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN ONTARIO AND
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA TORONTO
 AT 4:48 PM EDT WEDNESDAY 16 MAY 2007.

-------------------------------------------------------------
==WEATHER EVENT DISCUSSION==

SUMMER SEVERE WEATHER ROARED THROUGH SOUTHERN ONTARIO TUESDAY
AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH AN INTENSE LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH BROUGHT FREQUENT LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAIN AT
TIMES...STRONG WIND...AND PEA TO TOONIE SIZE HAIL. REGIONS ALONG
THE SOUTHERN SHORELINE OF LAKE HURON EAST TOWARDS HAMILTON SAW THE
HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.

THERE WERE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY DUE TO
TORRENTIAL RAIN AND POWER OUTAGES. FURTHERMORE ENVIRONMENT CANADA
RECEIVED REPORTS OF TREES DOWN AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE DUE TO THE
THUNDERSTORMS.

ENVIRONMENT CANADA'S STORM DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM TOGETHER WITH
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO HAVE
CONFIRMED A TORNADO DID TOUCH DOWN TUESDAY EVENING JUST EAST OF
WINTHROP TO SOUTH OF MONKTON... WHICH IS NORTH OF MITCHELL. THIS
TORNADO IS RATED AS A HIGH END FUJITA SCALE ONE TORNADO WITH WINDS
ESTIMATED BETWEEN 120 TO 180 KM/H.

THE FOLLOWING IS A REPORT OF SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE
RESULTS FROM THE STORM DAMAGE INVESTIGATION.

-------------------------------------------------------------

LOCATION                WEATHER EVENT          TIME
--------                --------------        ------

WINDSOR                 PEAK GUST 85 KM/H     4:48 PM

HAMILTON                50 MM OF RAIN         5:30 PM
                        PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL

KITCHENER               PEAK GUST 113 KM/H    7:00 PM
                        PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL    6:08 PM
                        PARTIALLY COVERING GROUND

TORONTO                 MARBLE TO
                        QUARTER SIZE HAIL     6:12 PM

EAST BRAMPTON           3 TO 4 CM SIZE HAIL   6:43 PM

CALEDON                 PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL  7:20 PM
                        COVERING GROUND

TORONTO (PEARSON)       41 MM OF RAIN

COBOURG                 54 MM OF RAIN

TRENTON                 54 MM OF RAIN

LOCATION                DAMAGE REPORTED
--------                --------------
EAST OF WINTHROP TO     CONFIRMED FUJITA SCALE ONE TORNADO...
SOUTH OF MONKTON        WINDS BETWEEN 120 AND 180 KM/H
(NORTH OF MITCHELL)      -BARN FLATTENED WITH ROOF CARRIED
6:25 PM                   OVER 100 METRES
                         -TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN
                         -HAIL DAMAGE TO A HOME AND AN INGROUND POOL
                         -DAMAGED TO CAMPING TRAILER

HAMILTON                -TREE DAMAGE NEAR MCMASTER UNIVERSITY
                        -TREE LIMB DAMAGE IN DUNDURN PARK

BRANTFORD               -TREE DAMAGE WITH SOME TREES 2 FEET IN
                         DIAMETER



PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SUMMARY CONTAINS THE OBSERVATIONS AT
THE TIME OF BROADCAST AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFICIAL
AND FINAL REPORT OF THE WEATHER EVENTS OR THE HIGH
IMPACT EVENTS ATTRIBUTED TO THE WEATHER EVENTS.

END/WONG/MEREDITH/COULSON

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Date	CANWARN Event Description
July 10, 2007	Severe thunderstorm watch issued at 10:19, watch ended at 18:49.
July 9, 2007	Severe thunderstorm watch issued at 13:49, warning at 14:21, warning ended at 16:47, watch ended at 21:15.
June 27, 2007	Severe thunderstorm watch issued at 10:30, warning at 14:43, warning ended at 17:20, watch ended at 19:08. Dave Steels VE3UZ provided this picture of hail that fell in Byron, and added that a good portion of it was the larger size pieces
June 19, 2007	Severe thunderstorm watch issued at 13:16, warning at 13:53, watch ended at 15:37
June 4, 2007	Evening storms resulted in a watch, but no warnings or CANWARN net. Here are the alerts that were sent out by Environment Canada's automated eWarning service: (Note that the email comes out within a couple minutes of the alert being issued - can't get much faster notice than that.) ___________________________ From: WeatherOffice [mailto:weatheroffice @ ec.gc.ca] Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 6:36 PM To: va3dae @ rac.ca Subject: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED For London SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED For London BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA BULLETIN ISSUED AT: 6:34 PM EDT MONDAY 4 JUNE 2007 Copyright © 2007 Environment Canada ___________________________ From: WeatherOffice [mailto:weatheroffice @ ec.gc.ca] Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 7:28 PM To: va3dae @ rac.ca Subject: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED For London SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED For London BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA BULLETIN ISSUED AT: 7:26 PM EDT MONDAY 4 JUNE 2007 Copyright © 2007 Environment Canada ___________________________ From: WeatherOffice [mailto:weatheroffice @ ec.gc.ca] Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 8:14 PM To: va3dae @ rac.ca Subject: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ENDED For London SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ENDED For London BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA BULLETIN ISSUED AT: 8:11 PM EDT MONDAY 4 JUNE 2007 Copyright © 2007 Environment Canada
May 15, 2007	CANWARN net held in the evening as a series of severe thunderstorms rolled through the London area. This was posted on the Environment Canada Special Weather Statement page ... AWCN11 CWTO 162049 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN ONTARIO AND THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA TORONTO AT 4:48 PM EDT WEDNESDAY 16 MAY 2007. ------------------------------------------------------------- ==WEATHER EVENT DISCUSSION== SUMMER SEVERE WEATHER ROARED THROUGH SOUTHERN ONTARIO TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH AN INTENSE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WHICH BROUGHT FREQUENT LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAIN AT TIMES...STRONG WIND...AND PEA TO TOONIE SIZE HAIL. REGIONS ALONG THE SOUTHERN SHORELINE OF LAKE HURON EAST TOWARDS HAMILTON SAW THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. THERE WERE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY DUE TO TORRENTIAL RAIN AND POWER OUTAGES. FURTHERMORE ENVIRONMENT CANADA RECEIVED REPORTS OF TREES DOWN AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE DUE TO THE THUNDERSTORMS. ENVIRONMENT CANADA'S STORM DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM TOGETHER WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO HAVE CONFIRMED A TORNADO DID TOUCH DOWN TUESDAY EVENING JUST EAST OF WINTHROP TO SOUTH OF MONKTON... WHICH IS NORTH OF MITCHELL. THIS TORNADO IS RATED AS A HIGH END FUJITA SCALE ONE TORNADO WITH WINDS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 120 TO 180 KM/H. THE FOLLOWING IS A REPORT OF SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE RESULTS FROM THE STORM DAMAGE INVESTIGATION. ------------------------------------------------------------- LOCATION WEATHER EVENT TIME -------- -------------- ------ WINDSOR PEAK GUST 85 KM/H 4:48 PM HAMILTON 50 MM OF RAIN 5:30 PM PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL KITCHENER PEAK GUST 113 KM/H 7:00 PM PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL 6:08 PM PARTIALLY COVERING GROUND TORONTO MARBLE TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL 6:12 PM EAST BRAMPTON 3 TO 4 CM SIZE HAIL 6:43 PM CALEDON PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL 7:20 PM COVERING GROUND TORONTO (PEARSON) 41 MM OF RAIN COBOURG 54 MM OF RAIN TRENTON 54 MM OF RAIN LOCATION DAMAGE REPORTED -------- -------------- EAST OF WINTHROP TO CONFIRMED FUJITA SCALE ONE TORNADO... SOUTH OF MONKTON WINDS BETWEEN 120 AND 180 KM/H (NORTH OF MITCHELL) -BARN FLATTENED WITH ROOF CARRIED 6:25 PM OVER 100 METRES -TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN -HAIL DAMAGE TO A HOME AND AN INGROUND POOL -DAMAGED TO CAMPING TRAILER HAMILTON -TREE DAMAGE NEAR MCMASTER UNIVERSITY -TREE LIMB DAMAGE IN DUNDURN PARK BRANTFORD -TREE DAMAGE WITH SOME TREES 2 FEET IN DIAMETER PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SUMMARY CONTAINS THE OBSERVATIONS AT THE TIME OF BROADCAST AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFICIAL AND FINAL REPORT OF THE WEATHER EVENTS OR THE HIGH IMPACT EVENTS ATTRIBUTED TO THE WEATHER EVENTS. END/WONG/MEREDITH/COULSON