TORONTO — Thunderstorms were working their way through southeastern Ontario and Quebec on Sunday as high temperatures continued to blanket parts of both provinces.
Environment Canada issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Ottawa and the surrounding area, saying the line of storms was moving east at 40 kilometres per hour.
The weather agency predicted rainfall of up to 50 millimetres, wind gusts that could reach 90 kilometres per hour and hail the size of nickels.
It said utility outages and flash floods are also possible.
Earlier in the day, police in Toronto said they received reports of water pooling on the Don Valley Parkway, and some lanes were restricted.
The heat in southern Ontario, where humidex values have reached 40 C, is expected to last until Thursday.
Parts of southern Quebec were also pounded by heavy rain on Sunday that knocked out power and flooded streets.
As of 5:30 p.m., Hydro-Québec reported more than 44,000 clients without power, including more than 13,500 in Montreal.
Québec 511, an account that monitors traffic, reported flooding-related closures on some major routes around the Montreal area, including on Highways 40, 15 and 25.
Environment Canada issued both a heat warning and a severe thunderstorm watch for cities including Montreal, noting that conditions were favourable for developing storms capable of producing “very strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain.”
There is also a slight risk of a tornado, the federal department said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2025.
The Canadian Press
