Damage across southern Ontario after wind storm

Tuesday, November 25, 2014, 8:59 AM - Powerful winds swept southern Ontario Monday, knocking out power and causing damage to homes and businesses.

Almost 70,000 Hydro One customers across the province were without power early Tuesday morning as the winds toppled power poles, with thousands of blackouts also reported in Toronto.

Serious damage was done to structures and small planes at the Burlington Airport, and in communities across the province, the streets are strewn with downed tree branches.

Weather Network meteorologist Matt Grinter says breezy conditions will persist Tuesday before easing tonight, but it'll be a far cry from yesterday's wind blasts.

With wind warnings covering much of the province Monday, gusts of more than 100 km/h were recorded in several communities.

Conversely, the same system that brought the blustery conditions also fuelled a major warm-up, driving temperatures well up into the teens.

Several temperature records were set, with Toronto's high of 18.3^oC marking the city's warmest November 24 since the 1940s. Ottawa and St. Catharines almost made it to 20^oC.

And to make matters more dire, Monday began with showers, at times heavy, in many communities lasting until the evening.

Kitchener picked up more than 40 mm. On its own, that's a lot, but it comes at a time when the lingering remains of last week's snow would have already been melting from the warm temperatures.

The result was localized flooding on several streets across the Kitchener-Waterloo region.

That warmth is a memory Tuesday morning, with temperatures below seasonal all through the week. 

Daytime highs in many communities won't be much above or below zero until the weekend, when a slight warm up is expected.

But in areas further north, it could be a messy day, particularly around the shores of Georgian Bay, where snow squall watches are in effect.

"Local snowfall amounts of 10 to 15 cm will be possible along with significantly reduced visibility under the most intense bands," Environment Canada says. "The squalls are expected to weaken into flurries tonight."

There is also a chance light flurries are expected to stretch southward into the rest of southern Ontario Wednesday, occurring overnight into Thursday. 

WINTER OUTLOOK: It's here! Have a look at what the coming winter has in store for Ontario.