Toronto roads flood as heavy rains sweep across southern Ontario
Severe weather in parts of southern Ontario has led to flooded roads in Toronto, school closures in cottage country and power outages in Barrie, Ont.
"Significant" rainfall up to 40 millimetres is expected across parts of the region Wednesday, with some areas possibly receiving more due to thunderstorms, according to a yellow level warning from Environment Canada.
An additional warning for freezing rain was issued for some areas, including Kawartha Lakes, Ont., for Wednesday morning.
Several roads in Toronto are also flooding due to heavy rainfall, according to Toronto police on social media.
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.
FORECAST: Flood threat: 20-40+ mm of rain, thunderstorms in southern Ontario
Streetcars are not servicing the Dufferin Loop in downtown Toronto due to weather-related flooding, said the TTC. Instead streetcars, such as the 504 King line, will take detours around the area.
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 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 are closed 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 are currently without power Wednesday morning due to three outages, said Ashely Trgachef with Alectra Utilities.
Two of the three outages are weather-related, while one is from a tree falling on electrical equipment, she said.
About 4,016 homes and businesses were initially impacted, but crews were able to restore some service, said Trgachef.
They aim to fully bring power back sometime between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., said the agency on social media.
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.
She said schools would not move to online learning for the day.
WATCH: Existing high water could rise Wednesday as rain hammers SW Ontario
This article was originally published for CBC News.