How the weather contributed to southern Ontario's power outages
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, March 4, 2015, 5:41 PM - A messy system entered Ontario Tuesday, creating travel delays and slippery roadways. Numerous power outages were reported across the region
"The causes for the power outages tonight are a result of Hydro One transmission issues, pole fires and system issues due to weather," Toronto Hydro tweeted Tuesday evening.
At the height of the storm, more than 85,000 customers were in the dark. Firefighters scrambled to battle dozens of fire pole and transformer fires across southern Ontario.
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WHAT CAUSED THE FIRES?
Many of the fires can be attributed to a phenomenon called 'flashover' that was exacerbated by drizzle in the atmosphere and salt spray left over from previous winter storms.
"Power lines and transformers are designed to keep opposite charges separate – essentially insulating the electrical energy and keeping it in the right place so we can use it to power our lives," explains Weather Network chief meteorologist Chris Scott.
"When flashover occurs, the electrical energy goes where we don’t want it – arcing across wires or transformers, releasing a bunch of energy, causing damage to electrical equipment and starting pole fires."
Scott says the drizzle in the air and the salt on the equipment gave the electrical current an easier route to travel, creating a short-circuit that resulted in fires and outages.
Video of 'Flashover', arcing current on transformers, happening now across GTA #onstorm https://t.co/w7IsLPVS9b
— Chris Scott (@ChrisScottWx) March 4, 2015
By 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, about 5,400 Toronto customers remained without power.
Officials hope to have everyone back online by midnight.