Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch covering a large portion of southern Ontario, stretching from Windsor through London and toward Toronto, including Huron, Perth, Oxford and Elgin counties. Meteorologist Julie Atchison said thunderstorms are already developing across the region and could bring hazardous weather through the afternoon and early evening. “Storms are popping up,” Atchison said. “The main threats are torrential downpours and strong gusty winds.” According to Atchison, some areas could receive close to 60 millimetres of rain if they are hit by the heaviest thunderstorms. Wind gusts could reach up to 90 kilometres per hour. “We’ve already seen some storms firing in the area, some isolated storms earlier in the day,” she said. “This will continue through the afternoon and into the early evening.” “Keep your eye on the sky this afternoon,” Atchison said. “We could have some outdoor cancellations this evening with thunderstorms moving through.” Looking ahead, Friday’s forecast calls for mainly cloudy skies, a high of 27 C and a 40 per cent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. The outlook for the weekend is considerably brighter. “The weekend is setting up to be absolutely beautiful in southern Ontario,” Atchison said. Both Saturday and Sunday are expected to bring full sunshine, with daytime highs reaching 28 C each day. Here’s a look at the rest of the forecast Thursday: Mainly cloudy. A few showers beginning early this afternoon. Risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon. Local amount 10 to 15 mm. Wind west 20 km/h. High 29. Humidex 36. UV index 9 or very high. Thursday night: Mainly cloudy with 40 per cent chance of showers and risk of a thunderstorm. Fog patches developing after midnight. Wind west 20 km/h becoming light early this evening. Low 20. Friday: Cloudy. 40 per cent chance of showers in the afternoon with risk of a thunderstorm. Fog patches dissipating in the morning. High 27. Humidex 36. UV index 6 or high. Saturday: Sunny. High 27. Sunday: Sunny. High 28. Monday: A mix of sun and cloud with 30 per cent chance of showers. High 30.
