Severe weather causes widespread power outages in Ottawa

As a thunderstorm passed through the capital, thousands of Hydro Ottawa customers were without power Monday evening.

Shortly before 7 p.m., on June 26, seven thousand residents and businesses were in the dark due to the weather.

At its worst, Environment Canada issued a thunderstorm warning for the City of Ottawa, which saw hail and intense downpours in the capital throughout much of the afternoon and into the early evening.

“Heavy downpours are likely to cause flash floods and water pooling on roads, ” Environment Canada said in a statement. “Large hail can damage property and cause injury. Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees and overturn large vehicles.”

Environment Canada also issued a tornado warning for parts of Gatineau on Monday afternoon, but that warning ended a short while later. However, a tornado warning remained in effect for eastern Ontario near Bonnechere River Provincial Park.