Damage reported in Etobicoke as line of severe thunderstorms move through Toronto
Extensive damage has been reported after a cluster of severe thunderstorms brought heavy winds and torrential rain to parts of the city’s west end on Saturday evening.
Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the City of Toronto just after 6 p.m., warning of nickel-sized hail and winds that could gust up to 90 km/h. The warning was then lifted at 8:17 p.m. after the storms moved south over Lake Ontario.
Toronto Hydro says that there were approximately 20,000 customers without power at one point, however by 11 p.m. power had been restored to all but 4,000 customers.
There is currently no timeline for the full restoration of power given the sheer numbers of outages that remain.
Meanwhile, Toronto Fire says that it is currently responding to numerous calls for weather-related damage as a result of the storms with most of those calls concentrated in Etobicoke.
They say that they are aware of at least 30 different downed power lines as well as a report for a hydro pole that appears to have been struck by lightning in a residential neighbourhood near Royal York Road and Bloor Street. They also say that they received 22 different calls for elevators that were stuck with people inside them after the power went out.
West of the city Peel Regional Police say that severe weather is also causing some flooding on area roadways.
“If roadways look as though there’s water covering them, it is recommended that you do not attempt to travel through as your vehicle may become stuck,” they said in a message posted to Twitter on Saturday night.
Environment Canada had previously said that the thunderstorms were capable of producing up to 50 millimetres of rain in less than an hour.
While the thunderstorm warning has been lifted for Toronto, the city remains under a heat warning. A high of 29 C is expected for tomorrow but the humidity will make it feel closer to 39.
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