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A stubborn low pressure system centred in Northern Ontario has created a moist and unstable airmass in the Great Lakes region. The reason for the prolong period of moist and cloudy day is because the low pressure system is not being propelled by the continental jet stream. As a result, it has relatively stayed at its location not moving easterly, which is typical of most systems under the influence of a jetstream.

Nevertheless, northern parts of the city of Toronto was battered with hail, heavy rain and frequent thunder and lightning. The most impressive cells battered a quadrant covering Islington Avenue to Yonge Street and Sheppard Ave West to Steeles Avenue West. Fortunately, a trusted weather station is located in the worst part of the storm. The York University weather station was battered by heavy rain and hail for at least half an hour. The total rainfall was 48.1 mm, with rainfall rates exceeding 50 mm/hr (could be higher but the graph legend only goes up to 50 mm/hr).

Here are some images from the most affected area:

Note that the cell north of the city remained in the same area for at least half an hour. The Atmospheric Environment Service of Environment Canada in G. Ross Lord Park was also bombarded with heavy rain and frequent lightning. At the time of posting, no report yet of rainfall total from the AES Headquarter location.

I would have to contact Dr. Peter Taylor of York University to obtain the rainfall extreme and wind gust when the storm passed the campus. Nevertheless, I wished the storm moved a few kilometeres south to Toronto East York.

The total monthly rainfall so far here at Toronto East York is 117.6 mm with our huge deluge of 43.6 mm on the 15th of June. In the last ten days, we accumulated 82.6 mm of rain. Therefore, I don’t think we need to water our plants this week considering more showers are expected in the next seven days.

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