TORONTO -- After a stretch of weather that has looked and felt more like May than March, parts of the Greater Toronto area are in for a stormy end to the week.
A low pressure system is tracking toward southern Ontario and is forecast to bring with it a decent amount of rain.
Environment Canada has issued a Special Weather Statement for a widespread area of the province, including Toronto, warning of heavy rain and strong winds Friday.
Between 20-40 mm of rain will be possible in most areas, with localized communities possibly seeing 50 mm with thunderstorms.
As of the morning of March 25, Toronto had only recorded 3.2 mm of rain so far this month. The city usually picks up an average of 32.6 mm of rain in March.
The rain is forecast to begin late Thursday, and taper off in most areas by Noon Friday. The winds, however, will strengthen into the afternoon, with gusts near 70 to 80 km/h possible.
Areas like Niagara Falls and Caledonia are under a Wind Warning, and could experience gusts close to 100 km/h.
A winter weather travel advisory has also been issued for places like Huntsville and Parry Sound, where a mixture of ice pellets and freezing rain are forecast through Friday morning.
A change-over to snow is also expected in these areas, with 2 to 4 cm possible by Friday evening.
The stormy weather comes on the heels of what has been an unseasonably mild stretch of weather in many parts of Ontario.
Since Saturday, temperatures have been soaring and records have been broken in dozens of communities. On Thursday, the city of Toronto hit 20 C for the first time in 2021.
