Canada: A powerful thunderstorm swept through Toronto on August 2, bringing torrential rain, strong winds and large hail that damaged buildings, flooded roads and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents.
At least 45,000 customers were without power as of 8 pm, August 2, according to electricity provider Toronto Hydro. The storm also brought down trees and power lines across parts of the city, while flooding forced road closures and disrupted transportation.
The Don Valley Parkway was among the roads affected by flooding. Images published by the broadcaster showed vehicles nearly submerged in floodwater in Vaughan, north of Toronto, as heavy rainfall overwhelmed roads and low-lying areas.
Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto’s East York community said its emergency department was affected by flooding. The disruption added to the challenges faced by emergency services as crews responded to reports of fallen trees, downed power wires and waterlogged roads.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said that the city’s emergency operations centre had been activated since Wednesday morning. City crews were deployed to deal with flooding, fallen trees and damaged power infrastructure.
Toronto’s public transit system was also affected. The Toronto Transit Commission said crews were working to restore services disrupted by flooding and debris carried by strong winds. The storm caused delays and interruptions across parts of the city’s transportation network.
Air travel was also disrupted at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Dozens of flights scheduled to depart on August 2 were delayed or cancelled as severe weather affected airport operations.
Canada’s weather agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada, later lifted an orange warning for severe thunderstorms covering the Greater Toronto Area. However, a yellow alert for heat and severe thunderstorms remained in effect for parts of southwestern Ontario.
The storm came with warnings for potentially dangerous weather conditions, including strong winds, large hail and intense rainfall. Authorities urged residents to remain cautious as cleanup and recovery efforts continued across affected parts of Toronto and surrounding communities.
The widespread flooding, power outages and transportation disruptions highlighted the impact of severe summer storms on Canada’s largest city, with emergency crews continuing to respond to damage and restore essential services.
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