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Severe weather in parts of southern Ontario Wednesday flooded roads in Toronto, closed schools in cottage country and cut power for thousands of residents, with more impacts expected into the night as heavy rainfall makes its way across the province.
Environment Canada lifted its yellow level warning — which forecast rainfall of up to 40 millimetres — for Toronto and most of the GTA Wednesday afternoon.
Eastern parts of the GTA such as Oshawa remain under the freezing rain warning as well as most of eastern Ontario, with rainfall expected to taper off early evening, according to the advisory.
The heavy rainfall caused several roads in Toronto to flood, according to Toronto police. Drivers passing through the following roadways are cautioned to go slowly and take extra time for travel:
Gardiner Expressway near York Street in Toronto.Lawrence Avenue E. and Railside Road in North York.Birchmount Road and Huntingwood Drive in Scarborough.Northline Road and O’Connor Drive in East York.
Police also warned residents to steer clear from rivers and creeks, which are “flowing faster than normal” due to melting snow and heavy rains.
A yellow level rainfall warning is in effect for Toronto. The city could see 20 to 40 millimetres of rain, Environment Canada says. CBC Toronto’s meteorologist Colette Kennedy explains.
Streetcars were not servicing the Dufferin Loop in downtown Toronto in the morning due to weather-related flooding, said the TTC. Instead streetcars, such as the 504 King line, took detours around the area before service eventually resumed.
A TTC spokesperson said water pooling in the area made it unsafe for streetcars to pass through.
School buses in Toronto, Peel and York Region also faced up to 60-minute delays this morning.
A “watershed conditions statement — flood outlook” is in effect until Thursday at 11 p.m. due to possible flooding in low-lying areas from rainfall and ongoing snowmelt, said Toronto and Region Conservation Authority spokesperson Afiya Jilani on Wednesday.
She said a flood outlook is issued when riverine flooding “is possible or expected.” Flooding on roads is managed by cities and should be reported to the respective municipality, said Jilani.
Environment Canada issued weather warnings for rainfall and freezing rain for parts of southern Ontario on Wednesday. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
School closures, power outages outside the GTA
Eastbound lanes of Highway 401 at Holt Road and approaching Bowmanville Avenue were closed Wednesday morning due to “numerous” crashes and flooding on the road, said Ontario Provincial Police on social media.
There may be potholes hidden under puddles of flooded water that could damage vehicles, said OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt in a video on social media.
“Avoid the puddles if you can and watch out very carefully for the conditions, ” he said, adding drivers should watch their speed to avoid hydroplaning on wet roads.
About 1,172 homes and businesses in Barrie were also without power Wednesday morning due to three outages, said Ashely Trgachef with Alectra Utilities.
Two of the three outages were weather-related, while one was from a tree falling on electrical equipment, she said.
All power was restored in Barrie early afternoon, according to the company’s social media page.
It might feel warmer in Toronto this week, but don’t put away your winter jackets just yet. CBC Toronto’s meteorologist Colette Kennedy has what you need to know about a blast of winter weather coming our way this month.
About 29,970 Hydro One customers are without power due to weather-related service issues throughout the province, said spokesperson Bianca Pizzo.
Power restoration times will vary as crews assess damage and continue to work through the storm, she said. Pizzo said Hydro One’s live outage map will have the latest updates on repairs and new outages.
She said some crews have been unable to access sites for repairs due to flooded or icy roads.
Meanwhile all schools, child care centres and facilities with the Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) closed due to ongoing freezing rain. The school board services students in Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton and Muskoka.
“We hope students will take this opportunity to catch up on work, or read/listen to a good book,” said TLDSB communications manager Carolynne Bull in an email to parents.