Thousands still without power after GTA's 'worst-first' storm

While only a handful of homes in Toronto remain without power, about 50,000 customers in Ontario are still in the dark after Wednesday’s severe storm.

The thunderstorm ripped through Ontario, downing hydro wires, upturning trees, and setting off a number of lightning fires, particularly in Vaughan.

At its peak on Wednesday, 150,000 customers were without power. By late Thursday, Hydro One had restored power to 60,000 households but said it will still be a few days before everything is back to normal.

“Because so many of those repairs involve putting lines back up, putting a new pole in the ground, removing trees, that’s why it’s such a labour-intensive process,” said Hydro One spokeswoman Daniele Gauvin. “We don’t anticipate having everyone back on before Sunday.”

Gauvin attributed the outages to “lightning hits on equipment and 80 to 100 km/h winds.”

“It’s an unprecedented storm,” she said. “The damage is so extensive — there are 300 broken poles between Peterborough and Tweed alone.” There are just 97 kilometres between the two sites.

Environment Canada climatologist Geoff Coulson said this kind of storm is called a “worst-first” because all the worst weather aspects are at the leading edge — rain, hail, gusty winds, lightning. “It can be brief and very intense,” he said.

One particularly bad aspect of this kind of storm is what Coulson calls downbursts, which are very strong winds coming from the core of the storm, at either the front or tail end. These winds “flatten out” when they hit the ground and can cause as much damage as a tornado, he said. It was this kind of wind that was responsible for much of the damage in Coboconk and Minden Hills.

“People were getting disappointed when they were told a tornado was not the cause of damage. But downbursts are dangerous enough to kill.”

Vaughan deputy fire chief Gary Fraser said city saw 15 lightning strikes and seven confirmed fires from the storm.

Much of downtown and central Toronto were spared the worst of the storm but parts of Scarborough and North York felt the effects of lightning and heavy gusts of wind which knocked down trees, branches and power lines.

Up to 10,000 in Toronto were without electricity on Wednesday after the storm.

-- Aleysha Haniff and Galit Rodan, Staff Reporters

Extensive storm damage sparks massive cleanup

Multiple power outages are shown on a map on the Hydro One website. Green triangles represent multiple outages. Click for map

In the aftermath of a storm that ripped through Ontario Wednesday, Hydro One has sent out more repair crews than it did following the massive ice storm of 1998.

About 1,300 Hydro One employees were in the field and some 110,000 customers remained without power by midday, said Hydro One spokeswoman Daniele Gauvin.

“Usually to have that number [of employees] out, the whole province would have to be down,” said Gauvin.

“It’s an unprecedented storm,” she said. “The damage is so extensive, there are 300 broken poles between Peterborough and Tweed alone.”

About 150,000 Hydro One customers lost power Wednesday night from around Fenelon Falls and Peterborough all the way to the outskirts of Ottawa.

Gauvin attributed the outages to “lightning hits on equipment and 80-100 km/h winds.”

Hydro One restoration staff includes line maintainers, foresters, assessers and even apprentices. Six helicopters have also been sent out. Gauvin said the helicopters are especially helpful in assessing the damage in heavily wooded areas and in flying staff and equipment to remote areas.

“Because so many of those repairs involve putting lines back up, putting a new pole in the ground, removing trees, that's why it’s such a labour-intensive process,” said Gauvin.

“We don’t anticipate having everyone back on before Sunday.”

Although the GTA was spared the brunt of the storm, Toronto Hydro said it had about 99 active calls as of 2:00 p.m.

A spokeswoman said she expected that there were about 500 customers still without power.

“We’ve held back all crews from any planned construction work today and every available skilled tradesperson is out restoring power,” she said.

About 1,800 Toronto customers were without power at the peak of the storm.

In Maple, Kim Ambrose said Wednesday that lightning had effectively destroyed her neighbour’s roof on Kinloch Cres.

The home was surrounded by neighbours and firefighters, who were at the top of a ladder spraying water down into the roofless building, Ambrose said.

“The entire main floor is gone, I’m sure the ceiling has fallen into the rest of the house,” she said. In Scarborough, power was out around Midland Ave. and several blocks eastward, forcing cars to treat intersections along Kingston Rd. as four-way stops.

At Chine Dr., a massive tree was ripped from the sidewalk, uprooting a power line pole and taking down a fence.

Caroline Colaris was on her way to the airport when the storm hit and pounded her car with hail.

When she returned to her home on Chine Dr., she found police tape closing off the street and firefighters dealing with other fallen trees and debris.

“We missed all the excitement,” said Colaris. “But it’s still quite a shock.”

She said she’s never seen a storm so bad in her 20 years in Scarborough. There was no damage to her home, she added, aside from a few scattered flowerpots.

As people from the neighbourhood surveyed the damage, city workers shooed them away from the fallen power pole, calling it unsteady and dangerous.

Just off Brimley Rd., another huge tree lay across Barkdene Hills, its branches jutting upward as high as a power pole.

Returning from a bike ride, Ron Harlow said he didn’t expect such strong gusts of wind and the barrage of quarter-sized hail, even as he watched storm warnings on the news.

“It was pretty scary,” he said. His nephew, Caleb, 11, said, “It sounded like the windows were going to break.”

Among those with homes badly damaged by the storm was Mark Towhey, Mayor Rob Ford’s policy chief.

At 9:25 p.m. he tweeted the city’s 311 information service to say he had been on hold for 35 minutes to report a city tree down on his house and wires, and asking when was a better time to call.

A city staffer operating the 311 Twitter feed apologized and asked him to call again.

Throughout Ontario, about 150,000 Hydro One customers were left without power and many may not get their electricity back until Sunday.

The storms caused damage in Haliburton County and the Kawartha Lakes and there were unconfirmed reports of tornadoes in the Minden Hills area near Peterborough.

Environment Canada investigators were in the area Thursday determining whether there had been a tornado.

After a muggy day and stormy night, Thursday proved cooler and wet. Environment Canada said the overcast weather should clear this evening, with a low of 14 C.

The slightly cooler forecast comes as a relief after Wednesday’s record-breaking weather, with temperatures reaching a high of 33.4 C. That exceeded the 32.2C record for June 8 set in 1950 and 1959.

--Galit Rodan, Staff Reporter, with files from Star staff and The Canadian Press

• Got a picture of yesterday's storm, or any damage it caused? Email them to webmaster@thestar.ca or tweet your picture using the hashtag #storm TO or post to our Flickr pool.l

Wild storm downs trees, cuts power in GTA

A man inspects a fallen tree limb near Kingston Rd. and Midland Ave. in Scarborough after a fierce storm swept through the GTA Wednesday evening. (RICK EGLINTON/THE TORONTO STAR)

Toronto Hydro is still working to restore power after a wild storm knocked down trees and power lines in pockets of the city Wednesday night.

Power has been restored in many areas, but remained out Thursday morning in areas of North York and Scarborough.

On Kinloch Cres. in Maple, Kim Ambrose said lightning had effectively destroyed her neighbour’s roof.

The home was surrounded by neighbours and firefighters, who were at the top of a ladder spraying water down into the roofless building, Ambrose said.

“The entire main floor is gone, I’m sure the ceiling has fallen into the rest of the house,” she said.

In Scarborough, power was out around Midland Ave. and several blocks eastward, forcing cars to treat intersections along Kingston Rd. as four-way stops.

At Chine Dr., a massive tree was ripped from the sidewalk, uprooting a power line pole and taking down a fence.

Caroline Colaris was on her way to the airport when the storm hit and pounded her car with hail. When she returned to her home on Chine Dr., she found police tape closing off the street and firefighters dealing with other fallen trees and debris.

“We missed all the excitement,” said Colaris. “But it’s still quite a shock.”

She said she’s never seen a storm so bad in her 20 years in Scarborough. There was no damage to her home, she added, aside from a few scattered flowerpots.

As people from the neighbourhood surveyed the damage, city workers shooed them away from the fallen power pole, calling it unsteady and dangerous.

Just off Brimley Rd., another huge tree lay across Barkdene Hills, its branches jutting upward as high as a power pole.

Returning from a bike ride, Ron Harlow said he didn’t expect such strong gusts of wind and the barrage of quarter-sized hail, even as he watched storm warnings on the news.

“It was pretty scary,” he said.

His nephew, Caleb, 11, said, “It sounded like the windows were going to break.”

Among those with homes badly damaged by the storm was Mark Towhey, Mayor Rob Ford’s policy chief. At 9:25 p.m. he tweeted the city’s 311 information service to say he had been on hold for 35 minutes to report a city tree down on his house and wires, and asking when was a better time to call.

A city staffer operating the 311 Twitter feed apologized and asked him to call again.

Throughout Ontario, about 150,000 Hydro One customers were left without power and many may not get their electricity back until Sunday.

The storms caused damage in Haliburton County and the Kawartha Lakes and there were unconfirmed reports of tornadoes in the Minden Hills area near Peterborough.

After a muggy day and stormy night, Thursday in Toronto will likely be cooler and wet.

Environment Canada predicts a cloudy day, with showers beginning this morning. There’s a chance of thunderstorms late Thursday morning and this afternoon.

Though the agency predicts a daytime high of 25 C, the humidity will make it feel muggier. The overcast weather should clear this evening, with a low of 14 C.

The slightly cooler forecast comes as a relief after Wednesday’s record-breaking weather, with temperatures reaching a high of 33.4 C.

That exceeded the 32.2C record for June 8 set in 1950 and 1959.

The humidex sat at 42, according to Environment Canada. A heat alert and humidex advisory were in effect for the GTA, with a UV index of 8, or very high.

• Got a picture of yesterday's storm, or any damage it caused? Email them to webmaster@thestar.ca or tweet your picture using the hashtag #storm TO or post to our Flickr pool.l

Alyesha Haniff, Staff Reporter, with files from Star staff and The Canadian Press

Doug Sanderson clears a fallen tree limb near his home in the Kingston and Midland Rds. area Wednesday evening. (RICK EGLINTON/THE TORONTO STAR)

Storm warning ends in Toronto, Peel and Halton

Toronto and the regions of Halton and Peel can consider themselves out of harm’s way for the time being, as Environment Canada’s severe thunderstorm warning has ended.

The warning remains in effect, though, Durham and York regions.

Sarah Ratchford

Severe thunderstorm watch for GTA

Greater Toronto is in for more thunder storms tonight, according to Environment Canada.

A severe thunderstorm warning is on for Toronto, and the regions of Peel, Halton, Durham and York.

Climatologist Geoff Coulson said people who live in these areas should beware of “large hail, damaging winds and brief bursts of heavy rain.”

Sarah Ratchford

Wild weather knocks out power in 70,000 homes

While we’re sweltering in the GTA, much of Ontario is seeing stormy weather that has knocked out power in more than 70,000 homes.

Environment Canada has also been hearing second- and third-hand reports of possible tornadoes touching down.

A spokeswoman with Hydro One said a storm around midnight Tuesday disabled power in about 18,000 homes in areas including Owen Sound, Guelph, Dundas and Walkerton. There are 30 broken hydro poles in Walkerton alone, and Hydro One worked on restoration throughout the day Wednesday.

But a new storm front moved in this afternoon, affecting areas from Muskoka to Ottawa.

About 16,000 people are in the dark in Peterborough, 12,000 in Belleville, 13,000 in Tweed, 8,000 in Orillia and Muskoka, and thousands more in Minden and Fenelon Falls.

Because storms are still raging, it is unknown when power can be fully restored.

Environment Canada is still trying to determine exactly what kind of severe weather is occurring aside from “a line of severe thunder storms.”

Geoff Coulson, a climatologist with the agency, said they have “heard second and third-hand reports” of damages from tornadoes.

He said the GTA might face thunder storms again this evening or overnight.

Sarah Ratchford

Experts look for evidence of tornadoes in Hamilton

A large tree was knocked over by the wind and onto this house at 480 Golflinks Road in Ancaster. (SCOTT GARDNER/HAMILTON SPECTATOR)

Environment Canada investigators are in Hamilton today trying to determine if a tornado touched down in the city early this morning.

High winds took down trees and power lines in a swath from Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shore.

An alert was issued at 1:30 a.m. and lifted at 2:15 a.m. in Hamilton, as unconfirmed reports surfaced of two funnel clouds.

Nearly 8,000 Horizon Utilities customers lost service overnight as wind gusts of up to 90 km/h pounded the area. Crews are restoring hydro knocked out by falling trees and branches.

The Canadian lightning detection network identified an impressive 80,000 flashes of lightning over Southern Ontario with this storm.

Kenilworth Avenue underpass was flooded for about an hour, and Highway 6 north is slow going as crews remove debris from the roadway along the route to Cambridge.

There are no reports of serious injury.

--John Burman, Hamilton Spectator

Hot enough for ya? Today's heat set record

The Star's Randy Risling describes how to construct an air-conditioner for $20.

As predicted, today’s scorching heat in Toronto reached a record-breaking temperature of 32.6 C.

The daily record for June 8 was 32.2 C, set in 1950 and 1959. The humidex is sitting at 41 on the hottest day of the year, according to Environment Canada.

A heat alert and humidex advisory is in effect for the GTA. And there are still a few hours to go, as temperatures should peak at 34 C later in the afternoon, around 4 p.m., said Dave Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment Canada.

• Photos: The heat is on

Wednesday’s humidex could even reach 42 or 43. The UV index is 8, or very high. Experts are warning this kind of heat can cause health problems such as cramps, exhaustion, heat stroke and difficulty breathing.

Toronto's medical officer of health has issued a heat alert for the city, warning the heat can be dangerous, even deadly, for certain parts of the population.

Those at risk, including the very young, the elderly and those with chronic conditions are encouraged to stay out of the sun, seek air-conditioned spaces or visit one of Toronto's public cooling spaces to beat the heat.

Wednesday will likely be the hottest day of the year, following the hottest night so far.

Tuesday night the temperature stayed around 20 C, which Phillips called “brutal” for sleeping. But the heat wave won’t last long, Phillips said, after a cold front moves in over night, bringing a risk of rain showers to cool things off.

On Thursday, Toronto can expect a high of just 24 C, closer to the norm for this time of year.

For today, experts are advising people to stay out of the direct sun, drink a lot of water, avoid working or exercising intensely outside if possible, and take frequent breaks if necessary.

Environment Canada also reminds people to take special care to ensure that pets have plenty of water, are well-protected from the heat, and are not left in hot cars.

Though parts of southwestern Ontario have been issued a smog advisory, the breeze in Toronto is keeping air quality levels good, Phillips said.

• Send us your pictures of today's heat in Toronto! Email them to webmaster@thestar.ca or tweet your picture using the hashtag #hotTO or post to our Flickr pool.l

--Zoe McKnight, Staff Reporter, with files from Amanda Kwan

Candace Correia and Melissa Jackson enjoy the sun at Sugar Beach on June 8, 2011 (CARLOS OSORIO/TORONTO STAR)

A cyclist rides along a trail at Coronation Park on June 8, 2011 (CARLOS OSORIO/TORONTO STAR)

Severe storms hit Hamilton area

A fast-moving violent thunderstorm which may have spawned a tornado has cut power to thousands of homes and businesses in southwestern and southern Ontario.

Environment Canada had issued a tornado warning for Hamilton at about 1:30 a.m., which prompted Emergency Management Ontario to issue a "red alert" for the area. People were advised to immediately move indoors and away from doors and windows.

There has been no confirmation of a tornado strike, but Environment Canada meteorologist Rosemary Tabory said two spotters reported "there was a possibility" of a tornado touching down.

"One was on the north side of Hamilton, the other was on Hamilton Mountain West," said Tabory.

She said Environment Canada crews would likely head out in the morning to check for any signs of a tornado.

Environment Canada said the line of severe thunderstorms moved through the region with wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres an hour.

The storm travelled from the Kinkardine area in the north through the Hamilton and Niagara region and Tabory says some damage is reported.

"We’ve had spotters report flooding and report some trees down."

Hydro One said the thunderstorms and strong winds left more than 23,700 customers without electricity.

They included more than 10,000 homes and businesses from Wiarton to Kincardine and east to Dundalk. Another 6,834 homes and business in the Guelph area were affected. Tabory said the fast-moving storm was almost all out of Ontario by about 3 a.m. and heading into the United States.

-- The Canadian Press

Humidex advisory in effect for Tuesday and Wednesday

Environment Canada has issued a humidex advisory for the city of Toronto for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The humidex is an index that combines the temperature and humidity into one number to describe how hot the weather feels to the average person.

Environment Canada says that the humidex is particularly significant when its value is greater than 30. Tuesday’s humidex peaked at 38.

Tuesday’s high was 29 C, falling to 21 C overnight, while Wednesday is expected to be sunny with a high of 34 C.

If Wednesday’s temperature reaches its expected high, a record will be set. Phillips said the current record for June 8 is 32.2 C, set in both 1950 and 1959.

The weather on June 8 last year was 20.3 C.

Dave Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said that Wednesday’s humidex could be as high as 42 or 43. The UV index will be 9 or very high. Phillips expects the “triple H” — heat, humidity and haze.

Environment Canada warns that a high humidex can lead to health problems such as cramps, exhaustion and heat stroke. They advise people to drink a lot of water, avoid working or exercising intensely outside if possible, and take frequent breaks if necessary.

Environment Canada also reminds people to take special care to ensure that pets have plenty of water, are well-protected from the heat, and are not left in hot cars.

Phillips said that Wednesday will probably be the hottest day of the year so far.

“Get used to it,” said Phillips. “We think there’ll be more of these kinds of days.”