A severe weather system swept through the Greater Toronto Area early Wednesday night, leaving trees upturned and depositing golf ball-sized hail.
The line of severe thunderstorms raced across parts of the GTA bringing torrential downpours, strong winds, hail and intense lightning.
Reports of severe weather received by Environment Canada as of 7:30 p.m. included golf ball-sized hail in the Bathurst Street and Highway 7 area at around 6:50 p.m. and gumball-sized hail in the Yonge Street and Steeles Avenue area at around 7 p.m.
The brunt of the storm hit the east end where Scarborough residents sent dozens of pics of uprooted trees, downed power lines and property damage.
One viewer sent a picture of a huge tree that ripped out a concrete slab out of the ground as it toppled over.
In Forest Hill, several large trees tipped over and crashed, blocking the roadway. Police were quick to put up yellow caution tape around it to keep people away from the danger.
Homes damaged by lightning
In Vaughan, several people reported damage from lightning striking their homes.
A spokesperson for Vaughan Fire told CP24 the area around Arundel Drive, near Highway 400 and Rutherford Road, was struck about eight times by lightning. The lightning caused several homes to catch fire.
To view a video of one of the homes on fire, click here.
To view a video of the damage from inside the home, click here.
About 12 homes were damaged by the weather, suffering various degrees of damage, said Deputy Fire Chief Gary Fraser.
No injuries have been reported.
Power outages
The storm also caused wide-spread power outages throughout the GTA.
At the height of the storm, Toronto Hydro's website said more than 5,000 customers were without power. Thousands remained without power hours after the storm passed.
The company says at least 51 hydro wires are down. Crews have been deployed and they are working hard to restore power. Additional crews have been called to help with the job.
A spokesperson for Toronto Hydro said they couldn't determine exactly how many customers are without power.
In cottage country, about 150,000 customers were still without power hours after strong winds caused severe damage in the area.
According to Hydro One, at 9:30 p.m.:
- 30,000 customers without power in Peterborough
- 40,000 customers without power in Tweed, Bancroft
- 25,000 customers without power in Orillia, Muskoka
The damage in the region is widespread. More than 200 hydro poles have been broken. The poles will have to be replaced.
Here's a look at some of the photographs sent in by our viewers and readers who braved the wild storm and its aftermath.
