Thunderstorms bring down branches, dump heavy rainfall on GTA

A man carries an umbrella through downtown Toronto during a rainstorm in this file photo. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

TORONTO -

Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall brought down branches and caused scattered power outages around the Greater Toronto Area as a summer storm made its way through the region Tuesday.

“Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm capable of producing very strong wind gusts, up to toonie size hail and torrential rain,” the agency said Monday afternoon.

The thunderstorm warning for Toronto was focused on Scarborough and ended shortly before 7 p.m.

Scattered thunderstorm and rainfall warnings were also in effect for most parts of the GTA, but most of them had ended by midnight. .

CP24 cameras caught downed branches around the city Tuesday as the storm system moved through. One large branch that came down in Forest Hill landed atop a Maserati.

Two people also had to be rescued from a storm drain in Mississauga after becoming trapped in the rising water.

The showers are expected to continue overnight with a chance of a thunderstorm.

The city could see 15 to 25 mm of rain overnight, Environment Canada sad.

The rainfall comes as a heat warning also remained in effect for Toronto and much of the province.

A high of 31 C was expected in the city today, but it felt as hot as 39 with the humidex factored in.

Wednesday is expected to be hot as well, with a high of 29 C, feeling more like 34 with the humidex. There is also a chance of showers in the morning and the risk of a thunderstorm in the early afternoon.

There is a 60 per cent chance of rain on Thursday, but the temperature is expected to drop down to a high of 22 C.