Severe thunderstorms cut power to thousands across southern Ontario
A taste of summer heat in southern Ontario on Tuesday set off severe thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, leading to power outages and downed trees due to blustery wind gusts
A favourable setup for severe weather unfolded in southern Ontario Tuesday afternoon and evening, with strong winds downing trees and bringing widespread power outages.
As of Tuesday evening, more than 90,000 customers are without power, according to Hydro One.
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The storms have also generated heavy downpours and hail. Some of the winds have reached 90-100+ km/h. Hazards with any severe storm that forms will be damaging wind gusts, large hail, strong, heavy downpours, and even the threat of one or two tornadoes.
Stay aware of potential watches and warnings in your community. Conditions can change rapidly as strong storms move across.
Thunderstorm season ramps up with severe storms on Tuesday
On Tuesday, conditions will change. The heat and a first taste of humidex will work to destabilize the atmosphere and fuel thunderstorm potential.
Temperatures will be upwards of 8°C-10°C above seasonal with dew points sitting near 20°C by Tuesday afternoon—-highly anomalous for April. It will feel even muggy for those inland, away from the chilly lake influences.
While there is the risk of showers and thunderstorms throughout most of the day across southern Ontario, the timing of the strongest storms will be from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In the afternoon, thunderstorms will become more organized ahead of an approaching cold front. Some regions in southern Ontario may experience a couple rounds of thunderstorms, depending on how the setup evolves on Tuesday.
Southwestern Ontario does have more of an isolated risk of thunderstorms, but we're looking at a more widespread chance for storms to bubble up in the Greater Toronto Area and eastern Ontario.
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The strongest winds will be associated with thunderstorm activity, but a more potent gust risk emerges if storms cluster into a line into the evening hours. Some of the gusts within the storms could become damaging, reaching 100+ km/h.
Heavy, localized downpours are expected but the storms will be moving at more than 60 km/h, diminishing the risk of flooding. Although there’s a lot of moisture in the atmosphere for April, storms won’t see and dump rainfall, as they’ll sweep through quickly.
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Large hail between 2-4 cm in diameter is also a concern in the most organized thunderstorms. There will be lots of cool air aloft, with the potential for building strong, sustained updrafts. We could even see hail up to the size of ping pong balls.
The cloud bases are forecast to be low, and the winds are going to change direction as you move upwards in the atmosphere--a phenomenon called 'wind shear'--which will allow storms to have rotation, bringing the threat of tornadoes.
Tuesday's warmth and stormy weather won't last, however, as a noticeable cooldown will happen on Wednesday.
Beyond that, cooler-than-seasonal temperatures will dominate during early May, including a threat for a frost or freeze, especially outside of the urban areas. Also, another significant low-pressure system is expected by Thursday night with widespread rain, followed by a reinforcing shot of chilly weather. However, a warmer pattern is expected as we get deeper into May.
Be sure to check back for all the latest on your forecast across Ontario.