Wet weather returns to Toronto as parts of eastern Ontario, Quebec brace for heavy rainfall

Toronto is in for some wet weather Friday with as much as 30 millimetres of rain expected to fall in the city today.

A special weather statement was issued for Toronto and much of the Golden Horseshoe on Thursday as parts of Eastern Canada prepare for heavy downpours.

In a virtual news conference on Thursday, Environment Canada said an existing weather system is expected to collide with the remnants of tropical storm Debby, causing a “significant rain event” in some areas.

Rainfall warnings are in effect for regions of Quebec and eastern Ontario, which could see as much as 100 millimetres of accumulation.

Jennifer Smith, Environment and Climate Change Canada’s national warning preparedness meteorologist, said heavy downpours could cause localized flooding in urban environments. She said there could be “significant impacts” in large urban centres, such as Ottawa, Montreal, and potentially even Toronto.

“There could be localized flooding just due to urban environments not having efficient drainage for rainfall in a short period of time,” she said.

“We have already seen a lot of precipitation in Eastern Canada this past summer so everything that could absorb more water is already saturated. So over land flooding and what not is likely as a result.”

Just three weeks ago, Toronto experienced widespread flooding and power outages after nearly 100 millimetres of rain fell within a three-hour period.

Basements is parts of the city flooded and sections of the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway were closed after the busy roadways became inundated with water, stranding some motorists.

Environment Canada indicated Friday that the heaviest period of rain is expected in Toronto this morning and early this afternoon.

Environment Canada Senior Climatologist Dave Phillips told CP24 Friday that Toronto likely won’t break any rainfall records today.

He noted that by mid-afternoon, the threat of rain should be over in the GTA.

Phillips said depending on the rainfall amounts seen this month, this summer could be Toronto’s wettest on record.

“If you take a look at June and July together, there has never been a wetter June/July in Toronto history,” he said.

Last month was the wettest month on record in Toronto. In July, 215 millimetres of rain fell at Pearson International Airport, surpassing a previous record of 213.8 millimetres set back in October 1954.