Severe Thunderstorm Affects Toronto, Causing Power Outages and Flooding

A severe thunderstorm struck Toronto, Canada’s largest city, on Wednesday, resulting in significant damage, road closures, and power outages affecting tens of thousands of residents. The storm brought heavy rain, strong winds, and large hail, leading to tornado watches and warnings in certain areas. As of 8 PM on Wednesday (00:00 GMT on Thursday), approximately 45,000 customers were reported to be without electricity, according to Toronto Hydro. The storm caused trees to fall and flooding, which led to road closures, including on the Don Valley Parkway, as reported by the CBC. Michael Garron Hospital in East York indicated that its emergency department was impacted by flooding. Images from the CBC depicted vehicles nearly submerged in Vaughan, a city north of Toronto. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced on X that the city’s emergency operations center had been activated since Wednesday morning, stating that city crews were responding to downed power lines, fallen trees, and flooding. The Toronto Transit Commission is working to restore service affected by flooding and debris from high winds. Additionally, numerous flights scheduled to depart from Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday evening experienced delays or cancellations. Environment and Climate Change Canada lifted an orange warning for severe thunderstorms in the Greater Toronto Area, but a yellow alert for heat and severe thunderstorms remained in effect for parts of southwestern Ontario.