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Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Ottawa-Gatineau area.
The weather agency said Tuesday evening that conditions were favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms, which could cause strong wind gusts, heavy rain and hail.
Storms could develop overnight into Tuesday, the agency said.
Observers said the area could see wind gusts of up to 110 km/h, hail the size of golf balls and rain of 50 millimeters or more.
The watch covers much of eastern Ontario. Another yellow thunderstorm is in effect across parts of western Quebec.
The watch is yellow, the lowest level on Environment Canada’s three-level scale.
Local utility outages are also possible, the agency warned.
Downed trees and flooding reported in Kingston area
Severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings swept through Kingston, Ont., and surrounding communities early Tuesday morning.
Flooding was reported in the Gardiners Road underpass near the Development Drive intersection in Kingston, according to a city statement.
Kingston officials say transit operations were briefly disrupted during the storm, with additional flooding and downed trees concentrated on the city’s northern and eastern outskirts.
Environment Canada said its meteorologists were monitoring severe thunderstorms that could produce tornadoes in the area.
The weather agency issued a red tornado warning for Kingston and the surrounding area at 12:46 p.m. ET Tuesday. That alert was canceled shortly before 1:30 p.m. ET.
In South Frontenac, emergency calls increased as uprooted trees fell onto roads.
A fallen tree blocked access to Peters Road in South Frontenac, Ont., Monday afternoon. (Submitted by Natasha Snyder)
South Frontenac Fire Chief Del Blakeney remembers the sky turning black shortly before the storm hit.
“It seemed like it was night,” said Blakeney, director of emergency services for South Frontenac. “I went to the window to look and all I saw were trees spinning in the wind and rain.”
Red is the highest level on Environment Canada’s three-color scale, indicating life-threatening weather that could cause severe damage.