Kathmandu— A powerful thunderstorm hit Canada's largest city, Toronto, on Wednesday, causing significant damage to buildings, closing roads, and cutting power to tens of thousands of residents. The storm brought torrential rain, strong winds, and large hailstones, prompting tornado watches in some areas. At least 45,000 customers were without electricity as of 8pm local time (00:00 GMT on Thursday), according to Toronto Hydro.

Infrastructure Damage

The storm brought down trees and caused flooding in various parts of the city. The CBC reported that road closures were widespread, including on major thoroughfares like the Don Valley Parkway. The Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto’s East York community also faced disruptions as its emergency department was affected by flooding.

Emergency Response

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced that the city's emergency operations center had been activated since Wednesday morning to address the storm's impacts. She stated, 'City crews are already out responding to downed power wires, fallen trees, flooding and more.' The Toronto Transit Commission is working to restore service affected by flooding and debris from high winds.

Transport Disruptions

The severe weather also disrupted air travel. Dozens of flights set to depart from Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday evening were either delayed or cancelled due to the storm conditions.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.