toronto storm

Hail and lightning rain down as Toronto is put under a severe thunderstorm warning

Dark skies, rumbling thunder, flashes of lightning, and even coin-sized hail appeared over the north end of Toronto just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, triggering a severe thunderstorm warning issued by Environment Canada meteorologists.

The alert warns that "Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm capable of producing pea to dime size hail and heavy rain."

The weather event doesn't pose much of a risk to most residents and businesses, but Environment Canada reports that this hyper-localized "quasi-stationary severe thunderstorm" is essentially hovering over North York, and could see that area of the city inundated with heavy rainfall of 50 mm within one hour.

Lightning and flash flooding pose the greatest risks to anyone stuck in the storm, and pooling water could create dangerous conditions on roads for drivers.

And also, that dime-sized hail falling at terminal velocity can't be pleasant.

Even from the relative safety of a car, hail is freakin' scary.

For those south of the action, dark clouds to the north make for an ominous walk with the looming threat of getting drenched or pelted by hail.

In situations like these, experts stress that the best course of action is to take cover indoors immediately until the system passes.

Lead photo by

A Great Capture


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