Flash flooding sweeps Burlington, more storm chance Tuesday

Tuesday, August 5, 2014, 8:57 AM - "Massive" is simply not a strong enough word for the incredible downpours that slammed the city of Burlington, Ont., on Monday.

At a time when many people were on their way back home after a long weekend away, thunderstorm after thunderstorm pouring between 100 and 150 mm of rain onto the city.

Thsoe are incredible amounts, and Environment Canada says the total may actually be even higher.

"Amateur weather observers measured a highly localized amount of 190 mm (unofficial)," a statement from the agency read on Tuesday morning.

A word you'll be hearing on The Weather Network on T.V. Tuesday is "training storms," so-called because they develop and redevelop along a line in succession, like the cars of a train.

It was enough to turn roads into rivers, flood several basements, and shut down major highways, including parts of the 407 both ways from Highway 403 to Appleby Line. The westbound lanes of the QEW were also closed after flooding at Guelph Line.

Halton Police said there were no injuries from the flooding.

Environment Canada issued severe thunderstorm watches and warnings over the entire Greater Toronto Area, but the storms' effects were uneven. Although Burlington saw a torrent, Toronto's Buttonville Airport saw only 37 mm, while Pearson Airport in Mississauga only got trace amounts of 3 mm.

The storms that passed were potentially dangerous, however. CityNews Toronto reported four people were hospitalized after being struck by lightning in a park in Scarborough, although police said their injuries were non-life threatening.

Elsewhere, an ambulance was damaged when it was struck by lightning. No injuries were reported.

Officials are assessing the damage, but drivers may be having an easier time of it now the Burlington Skyway has been reopened.

Transportation workers have cleared the debris from the Toronto-bound lanes. They were shut after a Thursday afternoon incident involving a dump truck, whose driver was later charged with impaired driving.

Most of Ontario saw some kind of thunderstorm event in various areas from Friday afternoon and through the long weekend, and it seems there's more risk this week.

"Showers should push into the GTA later this morning, and then by the afternoon we could see the risk of a few scattered thunderstorms through southern Ontario," Weather Network meteorologist Kelly Sonnenburg said early Tuesday morning.

There's more risk on Wednesday, though mostly in cottage country up to the Nickel Belt. 

Temperatures are a little cooler this morning, the humidity will still make it feel close to 30.

Northwestern Ontario also has a slight risk of seeing some isolated thunderstorms by the afternoon and evening.

With files from the Canadian Press

MUST-SEE VIDEO: Watch the video below to see what Burlington looked like in the thick of the storms.