Severe Thunderstorm Blows Through GTA
Posted April 23, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A fierce storm tore through the GTA on Monday, toppling trees like toothpicks and even ripping the roof off a home in one especially hard hit neighbourhood.
The intense but quick moving thunderstorm struck during the afternoon rush Monday with winds gusting up to 95-100 kilometres an hour.
“I just saw a roof coming up from behind the house, and it just kind of took off and stayed in the air and then flew off down the street,” said Josh Philips, who witnessed the carnage.
Hydro One says 22,000 customers lost power, forcing the closure of several area businesses.
In the Booth and Queen area, a tree was knocked over into a house and a line of power poles fell like dominoes on Woodbine Ave. in Markham.
In Vaughan, nine millimetres of rain fell in just ten minutes, one of the heavier downpours in the city.
Scarborough got five, but it was equally dark and stormy.
Forecasters were warning of the possibility of tornados as the cold front moved through, but there were no funnel clouds spotted.
And as quickly as it came, it was gone, leaving behind some sun, a much less humid day and setting up the end of our brief flirtation with summer.
Monday morning dawned with another day in the 20s, but after the storm ended, the temperature had dipped to 16C.
And we’re heading back to reality for the rest of the week with highs mostly near 13C – normal for this time of year.
To check the latest forecast and the current conditions, click here.
