Severe thunderstorm watch in effect for Toronto, GTA
Posted July 13, 2021 1:25 pm.
Last Updated July 13, 2021 9:37 pm.
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for Toronto and the GTA ahead of the possibility of strong storms in surrounding areas.
Environment Canada says current conditions mean we could see severe thunderstorms develop into this evening.
Strong winds gusts of up to 100 km/h and rainfall of 50 millimetres are possible.
[2:34p] Heavy downpour downtown #Toronto. Here's where that cell is going next pic.twitter.com/E7ETDY78tr
— CityNews 680 Weather (Inactive) (@680NEWSweather) July 13, 2021
680 NEWS meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai says the heaviest storms hit this afternoon/
“Heavy downpours, gusty winds, and hail [are the] biggest risks with these storms, especially through the north to GTA and up towards Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay,” she says.
“It will start to taper off overnight tonight waking up to 21 degrees [with a] humidex [of] 28.”
There’s potential for what meteorologists call supercell formation – storms that contain updrafts that rotate about a vertical axis.
[2:15p] Approximate arrival times of the next core of heavy rain moving to the NE at 37 km/h pic.twitter.com/h0vFRLRJg4
— CityNews 680 Weather (Inactive) (@680NEWSweather) July 13, 2021
These could materialize near Parry Sound to Bancroft, stretching to the Ottawa Valley in the afternoon and evening hours.
Severe thunderstorm watches are issued when atmospheric conditions are favourable for the development of thunderstorms that could produce one or more periods of large hail, damaging winds, and torrential rainfall.
Dark, heavy clouds move over south Etobicoke coming in off Lake Ontario. Keep your radio locked on @680NEWS @680NEWSweather as we monitor the Severe Thunderstorm Watches and Warnings in effect around the GTHA. pic.twitter.com/8MtZYslvHG
— Mark Douglas (@DouglasCityNews) July 13, 2021
The risk of additional thunderstorms persist into Wednesday but are more likely in eastern Ontario and southern Quebec.
There is a 40 per cent chance of rain showers expected in Toronto tomorrow with storms expected to linger into Friday.
