Photos: Storm sparks amazing light show in Toronto

Toronto was treated to a spectacular light show Wednesday night.

While there was no tornado, severe thunderstorms rolling through southern Ontario spawned lightning strikes that lit up the dark sky.

The lightning storm knocked out power for more than 20,000 homes and businesses in the province and lightning sparked a fire causing $100,000 in damages at a townhouse in the city's east end, near Sheppard Ave. and Meadowvale Rd.

Take a look at a few of the best shots sent in from readers below. We've also included a couple of videos that captured the intensity of last night's electric storm.

Branches of lightning illuminate the night sky as a bolt strikes the CN Tower. (Mark Adelson)

A bolt of lightning hits the CN Tower. (David West)

(Jon James)

Video: Lightning hits the CN Tower

(Guillaume Caty)

A series of lightning strikes are captured across the city. (Jillian Beatie)

(Michael Ventresca)

(Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star)

Lighting branches across the sky with the DVP in foreground, seen from Don Mills Road. (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star)

Video: Electric storm lights up the city

Lightning flashes over the field during a weather delay in CONCACAF soccer action between Toronto FC and FC Dallas at BMO Field in Toronto. The game was abandoned due to the weather. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn)

A lightning bolt is seen over an appartment near St.Clair Ave and Bathurst St. in Toronto. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim)

Video: Lightning show

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

Why you can look forward to more stormy weather

Toronto had another brush with severe weather Sunday, with warnings for funnel clouds, torrential rain, hail and damaging winds issued across the southern part of the province.

While the city was for the most part spared the effects of the frightening forecast, not everyone made it out unscathed.

A 22-year-old man remains in serious condition after he was struck by lightning Sunday afternoon as he played football near Victoria Park Ave. and Gerrard St. North of the city, in King Township, a home went up in flames after it was hit by a bolt of lightning.

Geoff Coulson, a warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment Canada, said he’s noticed a spike in storm activity this summer, largely due to the hot, hazy temperatures rolling into town.

“Year-to-year, about 10 people are killed and between 100 and 150 injured by lightning,” he said. “Any thunderstorm, by definition, has lightning associated with it and it can be deadly . . . When the sky roars, get indoors.”

According to Coulson, one of the main ingredients for this summer’s active weather is the heat and humidity that Torontonians have been experiencing – and complaining about. The city has been experiencing average temperatures significantly higher than normal every month this summer, he said.

In May, for instance, values taken from Pearson Airport show the average temperature as 16 C, more than 3 degrees above the normal average of 12.9 C. In June, July and August, the temperature has also topped out well above the normal values.

“These numbers won’t surprise anybody,” Coulson said. “Since January, we’ve known conditions will be warmer than normal.”

Torontonians might also be feeling the heat more this year because it’s not cooling off as much as it typically does in the overnight hours.

“It makes it difficult for people who have problems in this kind of weather – they’re just not getting the relief,” he said.

The perpetually steamy conditions are doing more than making people uncomfortable – they’re also generating stormy conditions that have led to an abundance of tornado activity across the province.

“We’ve had 10 tornados so far this summer in Ontario,” Coulson said. “The average is 11 per season, which runs from April until first week of October. There’s a good chance we’ll beat that average.”

“The way things stand, we have another six weeks of potential for damaging storms.”

This blustery weather – the sort that generates tornado activity – is largely dependent on what currents of air are doing within a storm system.

As humidity is sucked in by an updraft, hail and snow are evaporated, which accelerates the speed of the downward winds. That quickening movement is what we typically associate with the rain and high winds that characterize summer storms that seem to come out of nowhere, Coulson said.

“Late in the day the sky really darkens up and that’s usually when some of these more intense storms come through.”

Luckily for city dwellers, some relief will come this week with a quiet forecast boasting temperatures in the mid-20s and low levels of humidity.

--Teri Pecoskie, Staff Reporter

Man struck by lightning in serious condition

James Koole was watching baseball on television Sunday afternoon when his game was suddenly interrupted by a loud crack of thunder.

“We had heard a terrific bang,” Koole said. “It was just a single boom and a bright light.”

Koole ran to his back window and peered out at a park behind his property — a schoolyard with two soccer posts, a baseball backstop, three metal exercise beams, a jungle gym and chain-link fence on three sides.

But there, in the middle of the grassy field, was a stocky man lying flat on his back with his arms splayed out on either side.

“I said to my wife, ‘Holy f---, someone got hit by lightning. Call 911,’ ” Koole recounted.

Police, a man in his 20s is now in serious condition after being struck by lightning at around 5 p.m. in the school yard of Blantyre Public School, near Victoria Park Ave. and Gerrard St.

He was rushed to Toronto East General hospital with life-threatening injuries and categorized at the most severe emergency response level, CTAS 1, according to EMS officials.

Karin Archer Myles, a spokesperson for the Toronto East General Hospital, said on Monday afternoon that the man “is still a patient and remains critically ill.”

Because of regulations protecting patient privacy and confidentiality, hospital officials would not release further details.

Koole said the man appeared to have been playing football with about five or six friends when the thunderstorm suddenly hit.

After calling 911, Koole went into his backyard and shouted that he had EMS on the phone. One man ran up from the field and told Koole his friend was breathing but unconscious.

“He was yelling ‘No, my God, no,’” he said. “He just sort of went down on his knees, his hands over his head.”

Koole said none of the men knew CPR and they were trying to turn their friend onto his side.

Within minutes, a police car came careening onto the field and circled around the spot where the man lay. A police officer ran out and began administering CPR under “absolute torrents of rain,” Koole said.

Seconds later, an ambulance also drove onto the field and, as a police officer continued CPR, began loading the man into the back. At that point, another man came dashing onto the field, Koole said.

“He ran to the back of the ambulance and looked in,” he said. “He just collapsed onto the field, sobbing.”

Just one hour after the lightning strike, the sun was shining again and the school yard was deserted.

A dark green truck was still parked behind the school, however, and at about 6: 30 p.m., a young man dressed in a white tank top and dark shorts walked onto the field.

Sucking on a cigarette, he circled around an imprint in the grass where the lightning strike victim had fallen.

“I’m just looking for his necklace,” he said, refusing to give his name. “I don’t know anything. I just got a call to come here and grab the truck.”

When asked how the man was doing, he responded “he’ll be fine.” He would not say how he knew the man but said he was on his way to the hospital.

For residents around Blantyre Public School, many expressed shock with what had happened in their neighbourhood.

Koole said he often goes jogging Sunday mornings and just earlier that day, his running instructor reminded him not to go outside if there was a thunderstorm.

“I was like, ‘Oh, come on, we run through the rain,’ ” Koole said. “That’s definitely not my feeling anymore.”

The lightning strike, he conceded, “gives you some respect for the weather.”

-- Jennifer Yang, Staff Reporter

With files from Fabiola Carletti