A flood watch that was issued earlier Friday for Toronto has now ended after heavy rains once again raised water levels in GTA waterways.

The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority issued the flood watch early Friday morning, warning that water levels could exceed riverbanks, causing localized flooding. The watch was cancelled at around 7:20 p.m.

Between 20 millimetres and 40 millimetres of rain fell over the region Friday morning and more rain fell periodically throughout the day.

Despite the wet weather, the weekend got off to a hot and humid start. Today’s high was expected to reach 25 C while the humidex made it feel more like 33.

While the flood watch has ended, the TRCA said hazardous conditions still persist because of the heavy rainfall, especially around low-lying areas.

The risk of rain will continue through Saturday, where Environment Canada predicts a 60 per cent chance of showers.

Flash flooding has already been spotted in some areas downtown, causing road closures and train delays. The TRCA recommends that people exercise caution around bodies of water and avoid driving in low-lying areas.

Roads, transit affected by flooding

Bayview Avenue was closed between River and King Streets due to flooding.

“Because the lake levels are high, that water can back up just a little bit upstream to our river mouths, meaning we don’t have as much capacity at the mouths of our rivers that we normally do,” Rehana Rajabali, a flood risk engineer with the TRCA, told CTV News Toronto.

The issue also affected GO train service from Richmond Hill, however Metrolinx confirmed on Friday afternoon that service would be fully restored for the commute home.

Mayor John Tory also told reporters at an unrelated event Friday that authorities are keeping a “very close eye” on water levels around the city.

“Bayview and some places like that in the city have always been particular problems, even with the most modest amount of rainfall,” he said. “Obviously our officials do their very best to keep up with that when it happens and long term fixes for those kinds of things are actually quite challenging, given the way things were built sometimes decades ago.”

Minto, Ont. facing brunt of rainfall

A state of emergency has been declared in the Town of Minto, just north of Kitchener, where flood conditions have forced many people from their homes.

Authorities urge residents to stay inside their homes and avoid the town unless instructed otherwise.

Many of the residents displaced by the flooding have sought refuge at a local community centre, according to CTV News Kitchener.

In Mapleton Township, just south of Minto, many municipal roads were also closed due to flooding.

Muddy waters trickle into Bowmanville

A construction site in Bowmanville may be to blame for runoff from today’s rainfall, turning one neighbourhood into a muddy river.

Photos and videos provided to CTV News Toronto by Bowmanville residents shows brown water snaking through residential roads and driveways.

Residents say the development has been “extremely dusty and dirty” almost every day since the work began.

Back in March, dry weather and high winds left many lawns and backyards covered in a thick layer of dust. Some residents blamed nearby ongoing construction, where crews were clearing massive areas of land for the development.

City still recovering from May rainfall

Toronto has been hit hard by heavy rain in recent months. More than 236 millimetres of rain fell in April and May – an amount 60 per cent above the average rainfall.

In late May, 40 per cent of Toronto Island was said to be underwater. The island has remained closed to everyone but island residents and event permits have been cancelled until at least the end of July.

Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood was also affected by flooding as were other businesses and properties along the lake shore.

The agency responsible for monitoring water levels, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board, reported in late May that Lake Ontario was 84 centimetres higher than normal. This is the highest it has been since record levels were reported in 1952, the agency said.

Water levels were expected to keep rising at that point.

City officials said they expect it will take several weeks or more for water levels to subside.