A volatile, fast-evolving weather system fueled by intense summer humidity slammed Toronto and Southern Ontario on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, unleashing ping-pong to egg-sized hail, destructive wind gusts, and severe flash flooding across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued an emergency broadcast alert early in the evening, warning of wind gusts up to 110 to 130 km/h and an elevated risk of isolated tornadoes. Large Hailstones ranging from 3 to 5 centimeters in diameter (quarter to egg-sized) were recorded across urban and suburban centers. Torrential Localized rainfall amounts rapidly exceeded 50 to 60 millimeters, far outstripping municipal drainage capacities. A confirmed tornado warning was briefly active for parts of the Niagara Region, while a broader tornado watch extended across Hamilton, Burlington, and Brantford. In downtown Toronto, the storm hit with sudden fury during the evening rush hour. Onlookers described the sky turning an ominous shade of dark green before the sky opened up. On Bloor Street, drivers were forced to pull over as golf-ball-sized hail smashed against vehicle bodies and branches littered the roadway. Along the Don Valley Parkway (DVP), significant pooling of water caused gridlock, with several vehicles trapped in deep water under overpasses. To the east and northeast of the city, Durham Region faced some of the worst hail damage of the day. This followed a trend from earlier in August, where communities like Oshawa, Whitby, and Scugog were bombarded by hail larger than golf balls. In Brampton and Mississauga, high-speed wind gusts up to 100 km/h caused widespread branch failures, bringing down local distribution lines and blacking out thousands of homes. In London, a small branch on a power line along Empress Avenue knocked out power to residents in Blackfriars and West London, according to London Hydro, who estimated power would be restored by 10:30 p.m. The storm system triggered a red thunderstorm warning for areas north of London into Midwestern Ontario, and along the Lake Huron shoreline from Ipperwash to Goderich. A red tornado warning had also been issued for the Clinton area, Mitchell, Seaforth and Vanastra, but was lifted as the storm moved eastward at 75 km/h to 100 km/h, according to Environment Canada.
#hail #storm #tornado #flooding
Дата на публикация: 7 септември, 2026
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