Storm warning ends for GTA
A cyclist pedals along Queen St. W. near Spadina during a down-pouring of rain Wednesday afternoon. Toronto Star/Andrew Wallace
A severe thunderstorm warning has ended for Toronto after the city received a blast of the same weather system that caused tornados in Arkansas earlier in the week.
Three possible tornados were reported in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
Heavy rain hit pockets of Toronto Wednesday afternoon, but the worst is over, according to Environment Canada.
The city received calls from residents about fallen tree branches and blocked drains, according to spokesperson Rob Andrusevich.
“The system has gone through and we don’t have any more risk of severe weather tonight,” meteorologist Bryan Tugwood said at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The most the city may see is light showers tonight, he added. The storm path, about 30 km wide, moved quickly through the city just after 4 p.m.
It is headed east and is expected to reach Ottawa late Wednesday. The storm hit the Kitchener area after 3 p.m. with heavy rain and winds gusting just under 110 km/h.
A probable tornado touched down in Fergus, in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, just after 3:30 p.m., Tugwood said.
Some damage to commercial buildings and hydro poles was reported by an Environment Canada-trained observer, he added.
Two possible tornados were spotted in the towns of Ayr and Breslau, Tugwood said. The pattern of debris left behind will need to be analyzed before Environment Canada can confirm whether any tornados touched down, he said.
Hail of two centimetres fell in areas around London Wednesday morning, but there were no signs of hail in Kitchener.
Environment Canada is urging people to pay attention to the weather conditions because they could change quickly.
“Thunderstorms are the least predictable systems to predict,” said Tugwood, adding that meteorologists are tracking a complex low-pressure system into the Great Lakes region.
This system is expected to bring a total of 20 to 30 millimetres rain across the region.
On Monday and Tuesday the same system brought tornados that tore through a small central Arkansas town, as well as areas just north of Little Rock.
About nine people died because of the severe weather that hit the state. In the summer of 2009, the city of Vaughan declared a state of emergency after a tornado touched down, damaging a number of houses and leaving more than 100 people without a home.
With files from Donovan Vincent, Gloria Er-Chua and Daniela Germano
I am not concerned. These warnings are so frequent and they never amount to much in my opinion. It's like the boy that cried wolf in my opinion.
Posted by: Kirk | 04/27/2011 at 12:52 PM
The title of this article, along with its second paragraph, are quite misleading. It's just shameless sensationalism versus a weather expert's rational analysis on the coming storm. Stop trying to alarm people, if you may be so kind.
Posted by: Dignan | 04/27/2011 at 02:50 PM
Oh no!!! It's Snowmaggedon all over again! Everyone in Toronto, be prepared for an over-hyped storm that is definitely not going to happen.
Posted by: Bspicy | 04/27/2011 at 03:30 PM
killer storm??? What hype..............
Posted by: Peter | 04/27/2011 at 04:12 PM
It's not exactly hyperbole to call it a killer storm, when the same storm killed 9 ppl. Not to worry gang, anyone who reads the accurate title, and the contents of the article, will likely come to the sensible conclusion that they shouldn't cower in fear, but should perhaps be aware that it's gonna rain. A lot.
Posted by: Andy Mason | 04/27/2011 at 04:24 PM
Tsunami? Ha! They always say we're going to have a Tsunami after an earthquake. And really? Whatever happens? Nothing!
Posted by: Tony Karais | 04/27/2011 at 04:25 PM
CALL IN THE ARMY
Posted by: Mark | 04/27/2011 at 04:26 PM
Right...but if they didn't issue a warning and it was as bad as the states then I'm guessing all you people would be the same ones saying "why didn't they issue a warning?". Better safe then sorry!! I'd rather they issue the warning then do nothing.
Posted by: Shell | 04/27/2011 at 04:27 PM
It's a celebrity storm, that's it. It had its 5 minutes of fame and now it's a has been storm. Trying to draw up hype again for one last show.
Posted by: Curtis | 04/27/2011 at 04:38 PM
Wow. The headlines that have accompanied this story are outright sensationalistic and don't even come close to the actual FACTS that are reported in the story. Yes, the storm was deadly in the U.S., but it wasn't forecasted to be even close to that here. But to make it seem on par with tornadoes that have ripped through towns and devastated people's lives in the U.S....totally inaccurate and irresponsible journalism. And then people accuse meteorologists of not being accurate: it's the media's hype that's the problem, and I say this as a journalism graduate.
As for people who accuse meteorologists of getting it wrong, severe storm criteria for Environment Canada is: "When there is evidence based on radar, satellite pictures, or from a reliable spotter that any one or more of the following three weather conditions is imminent or occurring: Wind gusts of 90 km/h or greater, which could cause structural wind damage; Hail of two centimeters (cm) or larger in diameter; or Heavy rainfall, as per rainfall criteria, excluding those for winter and during thaw." There were severe winds and hail, as well as a possible tornado reported near Kitchener, hence the warning. Just because it doesn't happen in your backyard doesn't mean they were wrong.
Posted by: Nicole | 04/27/2011 at 04:50 PM
Guess I was adjusting my car radio, must have missed it!
Posted by: BlueMan | 04/27/2011 at 05:23 PM
Cyclists pedal (photo caption), unless they're salespeople peddling wares at the same time...
Posted by: tig | 04/27/2011 at 07:46 PM
"A cyclist peddles along Queen St. W. near Spadina during a down-pouring of rain Wednesday afternoon."
It looks more like he's pedaling than peddling.
Posted by: Joe | 04/27/2011 at 08:52 PM