Storm clouds form over the skyline in Toronto in this file photo from Monday June 6, 2016. Environment Canada says it is investigating whether a tornado touched down in Ayr, Ont.Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press
Environment Canada issued tornado watches and special weather advisories Saturday for parts of southern Ontario, as a powerful storm rolled through the province bringing heavy rain and strong winds.
The agency said it was looking into reports that a tornado touched down in Ayr, Ont., downing trees and hydro poles and damaging a local business, but there are no reports of injures.
At 11:35 a.m. Saturday, Waterloo Regional Police posted on X that a tornado hit the community of Ayr, situated about 20 kilometres south of Kitchener in the Township of North Dumfries.
“Damages to the roof of the Home Hardware. The business has been evacuated, and no physical injuries were reported,” the force said. “North Dumfries Fire is attending due to smell of natural gas at this location.”
Greenfield Drive was closed between Trussler Road and Northumberland Street because trees and utility poles fell, police said. “Please avoid the area.”
The Home Hardware store is at the corner of Northumberland and Greenfield. Police said the tornado’s path appeared to have been small and limited to this area.
“There are no significant dangerous conditions that pose immediate hazards to public safety,” police said later.
David Sills, executive director of the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University, confirmed a tornado touched down in Ayr at around 11 a.m. on Saturday.
The team has been in the area since the afternoon and is currently assessing the width, length, extent of damage and other data, he told the Canadian Press.
Environment Canada had special weather statements in effect late Saturday across southern Ontario, as well as rainfall warnings for several areas including Toronto and Mississauga.
The agency said regions under severe thunderstorm watch could see wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres an hour, up to 50 millimetres of rain and nickel-sized hail. It also said the thunderstorms were expected to dissipate in the evening.
A special weather statement in place for many southern Ontario communities said significant rainfall was expected until the end of the weekend, with total rainfall of up to 80 mm expected through Sunday.
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Trudy Kidd, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said this type of weather is typical for southern Ontario in August. “We’ve got warm, humid air mass in place and then low pressure moving through the area. That’s going to set off the energy available to make these thunderstorms,” she said. “It’s definitely something we are accustomed to seeing.”
Heavy rain caused flooding in various parts of the Greater Toronto Area.
People huddle under a tent at Woodbine Racetrack to escape a heavy downpour of rain that resulted in the cancellation of part of the King's Plate, in Toronto on Saturday.Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority issued a flood watch through the end of Sunday, saying that all shorelines, rivers and streams within the Greater Toronto Area should be considered dangerous due to higher and rapidly changing water levels as well as unstable river banks.
On X, the Toronto Transit Commission warned of several bus line detours due to floods.
The storm caused flight diversions and ground delays at Toronto Pearson airport, its operator said on X, adding it’s having a major impact on passengers.
The rain has also resulted in various leaks in Terminals 1 and 3, though both were still operational, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority said on X.
Peel Regional Police warned on X that major flooding blocked two Mississauga intersections: Mavis Road and Lafayette Drive, and Rathburn Road West and Elora Drive.
With files from the Canadian Press