The number of southern Ontario homes and businesses remaining in the dark is much lower today as crews worked to restore power after destructive thunderstorms this week.
Dangerous thunderstorms and high winds ripped out trees, tore down power lines and flooded major streets as more than 100 millimetres of rain fell in some areas Wednesday.
Toronto fire officials reported just shy of 1,500 calls over a 24-hour period, which they said was their second-highest call volume in a day, after the 2013 ice storm.
City manager Paul Johnson called it a “100-year storm” that caused widespread destruction in Toronto and the surrounding areas.
Among the most damaged structures was the 50,000-capacity Rogers Stadium in Toronto’s north end, where bleachers were ripped out by high winds that also left behind partially collapsed grandstands.
The Northern Tornadoes Project says the damage in Toronto appears to have been caused by downbursts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2026.
