A powerful thunderstorm swept through Toronto, Canada's largest city, on the evening of July 24 (local time), causing damage to buildings, closing roads, and cutting power to at least 45,000 customers.
According to Toronto Hydro, as of 8 p.m. local time (midnight GMT on July 25), approximately 45,000 customers were still without electricity. The storm brought torrential rain, strong winds, and large hail, prompting authorities to issue tornado warnings for some areas.
The storm downed trees and caused flooding, forcing the city to close several roads, including the Don Valley Parkway. Michael Garron Hospital in East York reported that its emergency department was affected by the flooding. Images released by CBC showed several cars nearly submerged in Vaughan, north of Toronto.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said on social media platform X that the city's emergency operations center had been activated early in the morning. She said city workers were deployed to handle downed power lines, fallen trees, flooding, and other issues. The Toronto Transit Commission, which operates the subway and bus systems, was also working to restore service in areas affected by flooding or storm debris.
At Toronto Pearson International Airport, dozens of flights scheduled to depart that evening were delayed or canceled due to the adverse weather. Environment and Climate Change Canada lifted the severe thunderstorm watch for the Greater Toronto Area but maintained heat and thunderstorm warnings for parts of southwestern Ontario.
