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A storm-gazing teenager was bowled over by the pressure wave from a bolt of lightening that struck the North York park where she and a friend took cover during the thunderstorm that swamped Toronto Monday afternoon.
The day's sudden outburst was the latest in a mixed bag of weather, leaving Torontonians eyeing both their flip-flops and their rain boots before setting out in the morning.
And experts are predicting even fickler than normal skies ahead.
“It's frustrating. You can't plan your day based on the kind of weather we've had. On the same day it's the whole suite of rain, thunderstorm, some coolish temperatures, lots of sun, clean air,” said David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada.
“You throw a dart and anything can happen.”
Already this June, Toronto has seen 11 rainy days – double the month's usual amount.
But every day has had sunny bursts, too, Mr. Phillips said.
A lazy cold low system squatting over northern Ontario “spinning around like a roulette wheel” is spitting out the unusual weather, he said.
Normally at this time of year, the system would have moved further north, making way for sunny, humid conditions. Instead, it continues churning out cool weather tinged with shafts of sunshine.
“This one has been sitting out there. It's just been very persistent, it's just stuck. it's like summer re- runs all the time. It's spinning around there, bringing the same weather day-after-day-after-day,” Mr. Phillips said.
Toronto had another taste of the unstable weather Monday, as a severe thunderstorm pelted the city with rain and pea- and nickel-sized hail early Monday afternoon. A severe thunderstorm warning issued by Environment Canada was lifted before the afternoon rush hour.
Police shut down roads in the Sheppard Ave. W. and Allen Road area due to flooding, affecting TTC bus routes in the area for several hours in the afternoon. Ontario Provincial Police reported that ramps were flooded out at Highway 404 and Steeles.
Skies lit up with lightning across Toronto, with 600 strokes recorded within a 50 kilometre radius of the CN Tower alone.
A 15-year-old girl was taken to Sunnybrook hospital as a precaution after she was stunned by a bolt in a park near Leslie Street and York Mills Road.
“They were two young teenagers looking at the storm,” said EMS duty officer Connie Christie.
“Lightning struck very close to where she and a friend were in the park.”
Several funnel clouds were reported in the Markham area, though there were no confirmed reports of touch down.
Sunny skies are forecast for Tuesday, with temperatures expected to hit 26 degrees. But the tempestuous weather is expected to come back, with thunderstorms predicted for the rest of the week.
