Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Thunderstorms flood parts of GTA - heading for Montreal

Major flooding on the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto overnight. (CBC News)
A strong warm front produced heavy rain and thunderstorms across southwest Ontario overnight including portions of Toronto. The heavy rain, in some cases over 50mm in a short period of time, pushed the Don River over its banks closing portions of the busy Don Valley Parkway between Bloor and Gardiner. Other parts of the city also reported flash flooding with many underpasses and train tracks blocked. The warm front will continue to lift northeast into Eastern Ontario and southern Quebec today. There is a slight risk of strong thunderstorms across our region, with the main threat being heavy rain. The bulk of the moisture will arrive by the middle of the afternoon in Montreal. This morning most of the heaviest rain has moved across Lake Ontario into New York State.

The front will usher in very warm and humid tropical air. The temperature in Montreal will reach 22C today but climb all the way to 30C (86F) Thursday through Saturday. There will be a risk each afternoon for thunderstorms as the air will be saturated with moisture.

***A couple of points to remember, stay hydrated in the sudden onset of mid-summer weather, taking care outdoors. Also if you seek relief near or in waterways, remember they are flowing fast from all the rain, and still dangerously cold, in most cases under 13C (55F). At that temperature hypothermia can
occur in minutes.

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