Power restored to most customers after storm causes widespread outages in Toronto

Toronto Hydro says crews have restored power to most of its customers following a brief but impactful spring storm on Tuesday.

Toronto was under weather alerts for a portion of the afternoon as strong winds and thunderstorms developed into the evening hours.

“Significant progress has been made overnight, with power restored to the majority of our customers,” Toronto Hydro said on Wednesday morning. “Crews will continue with cleanup and restoration efforts throughout the morning until all impacted customers are back online.”

Toronto Hydro said it had responded to several outages across the city due to the winds. By 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, crews had been working to restore power to customers, but by 11 p.m., many were still in the dark.

“As our crews continue to respond to reports of wires down, we’re reminding everyone to stay back at least 10 metres (about the length of a school bus) if you come across downed powerlines, and to report it to us at 416-542-8000. We appreciate your patience,” Toronto Hydro added.

Toronto Hydro’s outage map showed some customers without power in various city spots on Wednesday morning, but a spokesperson said restoration times are preliminary and often change to “better reflect the situation once crews arrive onsite to assess damage and identify the issue.”

Tuesday’s storm led to a brief evacuation in downtown Toronto outside Scotiabank Arena, where many gathered at Maple Leafs Square for the hockey team’s playoff game. Fans eventually returned to the square once the storm had passed.

Elsewhere in the city, police responded to various calls, including an incident in midtown Toronto where a woman was critically injured after she was struck by a falling tree branch.