Heavy rain leads to localized flooding in parts of the GTA

Heavy rain that dumped as much as 80 millimetres of rain in some areas has led to flooding in parts of the Greater Toronto Area on Wednesday.

A special weather statement issued by Environment Canada has ended, but the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has issued a flood and shoreline hazard warning for the city that remains in effect until Thursday.

Residents are urged to use extreme caution around all bodies of water, to avoid driving on flooded roadways and under passes and to be alert to transportation delays and road closures.

According to the TRCA, certain areas have received 80 mm of rain in the past six hours.

Toronto police have closed a number of roads due to water pooling on roadways. In some areas, cars were submerged in water.

A crane pulled a car out of flood water on a ramp from Highway 401 to Islington Avenue in the city’s west end on Wednesday morning. The water on the ramp is reportedly a metre high.

Toronto Fire reported that it responded to 12 water rescues between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. In some cases, the calls involved several cars stranded in water.

Geoff Coulson, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the western part of the Greater Toronto Area has been hit the hardest.

Showers ‘a little bit heavier’ than anticipated

Areas where flooding has been reported include Etobicoke, Mississauga, Oakville and Burlington, he said. The downpours also hit parts eastward along the Highway 401 corridor. Northern York and Durham regions have largely been spared from the worst of it, he added.

“Some of these showers have been a little bit heavier than originally anticipated.”

As of 11 a.m., Toronto’s Pearson International Airport recorded about 62 mm of rain, while parts of downtown Toronto recorded about 60 mm of rain.

The heavy downpours were expected to end by early afternoon.

Police have closed the southbound Allen Road ramp from Highway 401 due to flooding. Northbound and southbound lanes of Kipling Avenue near Highway 409 were closed, but they have since reopened.

Environment Canada had forecast rainfall amounts of between 20 mm and 40 mm, with 50 mm of rain in some areas, by early afternoon.

More showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for late afternoon.

Special weather statements issued for Peel, Halton, York and Durham regions, Hamilton and much of Southern Ontario have ended as well.