Toronto thunderstorms down trees, leave vehicle flooded on Gardiner

Crews are busy cleaning up after a line of thunderstorms which swept through Toronto brought down trees and caused flooding and power outages.

A line of intense thunderstorms moved through the city overnight, with intense rain and strong winds.

Toronto Hydro says around 2,000 customers remain without power in the Rosedale area and there other scattered outages around the city.

At least one driver on the westbound Gardiner Expressway had to be rescued by firefighters near the South Kingsway after their vehicle became half-submerged in heavy ponding.

The water was cleared after firefighters managed to unclog a sewer grate.

No other major problems have been reported on the roads this morning, but there are broken tree branches scattered on some roads around the city.

The storms are expected to give away Thursday to another day of intense heat, with a heat warning still in effect. There is a high of 31C in Toronto Thursday, though that will feel like 39 with the humidex. Environment Canada says there is also a 30 per cent chance of showers this afternoon.

A fallen tree lies in the road on Richmond Street in downtown Toronto following a thunderstorm Thursday June 20, 2024. (Mike Nguyen /CP24)