Parts of Toronto experienced severe flooding and power outages after heavy showers moved through on Tuesday night.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton at around 9 p.m.
About one hour after, the weather agency ended the statement for Mississauga and Brampton. At around 11:30 p.m. the weather agency ended the statement for Toronto noting the heavy showers had moved out over Lake Ontario.
“The heaviest showers were over the west end of Toronto and near Pearson International Airport,” the weather agency said. “Since the showers are moving very slowly, local rainfall amounts of 25 to 50 millimetres in an hour are quite likely.”
“Total rainfall amounts of 50 to 100 millimetres are quite possible in one or two locations this evening. The high rainfall amounts will be very localized in nature.”
Throughout the evening, Environment Canada said motorists should be prepared for “very low visibility in downpours and ponding of water on roads.”
At around 10 p.m., Toronto Hydro said they had lost their power supply from Hydro One and subsequently 16,000 customers lost power in the area of Finch Station and Steeles, Sheppard and Islington avenues.
Power was restored to approximately 8,000 customers at around 10:30 p.m., Toronto Hydro said.
A spokesperson for Hydro One, Jay Armitage, told CP24 that an investigation into the matter is underway.
“The Hydro One crews have now been dispatched to Finch Station, they should be arriving momentarily if they haven’t already,” Armitage said. “It will be too early at this point to understand why we lost power to Toronto Hydro.”
“This was the same station where there was a fire on July 27 where two of our transformers were pretty badly damaged and the station is in the midst of being rebuilt so as its being rebuilt we are doing everything we can to manage reliability with Toronto Hydro.”
Armitage confirmed the weather would have impacted this issue.
Vehicles submerged in water throughout the city
Toronto police said they are responding to a number of vehicles stuck in water throughout the city.
The marine unit was called to the area of Lower Simcoe Street and Bremner Blouevard at around 11 p.m. to rescue occupants inside four vehicles submerged in water.
Two to three vehicles are also stuck in water in the area of Dovercourt Road and Dupont Street, as well as three vehicles being stuck near Wilson and Dubray avenues.
Sgt. Claudio Martelluzzi spoke to CP24 at the scene of the vehicles stuck on Wilson Avenue.
“Fire department arrived on time and got all the people out safely, there are no reported injuries,” Sgt. Claudio Martelluzzi said at the scene. “At this time, the water is receding from its highest point. We’re just glad that there are no injuries.”
Martelluzzi said part of Wilson Avenue had to be closed off.
“Some people have to walk through as they have to get home but the sidewalk is about 2 feet flooded so in the middle (of the bridge) we’re looking at about eight feet of water,” he said.
Environment Canada said the heavy rain is expected to ease off by midnight.