Meteorologists warn of "torrential downpour" as hurricane remnants head for southwestern Ontario
The hurricane is moving towards the northeastern United States, meteorologists say
Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for the London area, calling for "torrential downpours" that could bring up to 40 milimetres of rain in as little as an hour to some parts of the region, Tuesday night.
The weather event is expected to last into Thursday.
Localized rainfall could be in excess of 80 mm in portions of southern Ontario, according to the weather service, which points the finger at the remnants of Hurricane Beryl moving across the United States and into southwestern Ontario as the cause for the downpour.
"It's going to bring in a whole lot of rain," said Trudy Kidd, an Environment Canada meteorologist. "We're expecting rain to start around midnight for the London area."
While the total amount of rain expected wasn't a major concern, the rate at which it could come means potential hazards, according to Kidd.
"What I really want to highlight for people is how much rain could fall in a short period of time. That's important to talk about because that can cause flash flooding, and for people who are out and about commuting to work it could be pretty hazardous," she said.
Low-lying areas like floodplains could be dangerous, but pooling on roads could also be present, Kidd added.
"If you do see water pooling, turn around. Don't drown. You don't want to risk it," she said.
Hurricane Beryl caused devastation in the Caribbean and Mexico earlier this month and has now been downgraded to a tropical storm. It's expected to move through the lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather service said.
As it arrives in southwestern Ontario, the rain will likely be heaviest overnight and into the early morning, Kidd said. She added the effects of the storm could be heavily localized, meaning some areas in close proximity to one another could see relatively different outcomes.
"Be prepared and weather aware. Check your local forecasts, check the rainfall warnings, because as they get updated they'll have a lot of great information to help you out," Kidd said.