Extreme heat remains as storm clean up continues
Posted Jul 3, 2026 10:32:18 AM.
Last Updated Jul 3, 2026 03:03:00 PM.
Ottawa faced one of its worst flooding events on Canada Day, and the city is still dealing with its impacts in the midst of an orange-level heat warning.
Intense flooding closed roads, cancelled Canada Day celebrations and set a new rainfall record on Wednesday in Ottawa. Firefighters responded to over 700 reports of downed wires and electrical hazards, officials detailed.
The extreme heat warning began on Wednesday and has persisted, with temperatures expected to reach 32 degrees on Friday.
Environment Canada urges people to monitor for heat-related illness, which can present itself as headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, dark urine and intense fatigue.
They also recommend avoiding time in the sun, closing blinds and turning on air conditioning.
For some, turning on air conditioning might not be possible as the storm, at its peak, had 36,000 households without power.
On Thursday, 5,300 households were still without power, but Hydro Ottawa noted it is working hard to restore the addresses.
Over 1,000 people are without power near the Queensway Carleton Hospital; Bryce Conrad, CEO of Hydro Ottawa, said at a press conference. There is submerged hydro equipment near the area due to the flooding, and the two options are to pump it out or wait for it to recede, both of which take time.
The city also confirmed it received 1,900 reports of flooded basements in the hours after the rain.
While damage persists, Tim Tierney said on Friday that the situation has improved and there are “some trees down and only about a dozen without power.”
He said that with extreme weather events becoming more frequent over the last decade, municipalities need to review and adapt for resilience.
With files from Natasha O’Neill
