8:50 p.m. EDT: A line of thunderstorms continued pushing through southwestern Ontario on Sunday evening. This line prompted several severe thunderstorm warnings around Windsor and Sarnia earlier in the evening.
These storms will continue pushing east over the next couple of hours. Gusty winds and heavy rainfall are the predominant threats. Residents are advised to pay close attention to rapidly changing conditions, and continue monitoring local watches and warnings .
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for all the latest on this severe weather threat. The original article continues below.
Severe thunderstorm watches were issued for portions of southwestern Ontario on Sunday afternoon as a potent squall line moved into the Great Lakes region.
Sunday’s severe weather threat arrives courtesy of the same system responsible for a prolonged and damaging ice storm throughout cottage country and eastern Ontario.
The storms are likely between 8:00 p.m and 10:00 p.m. local time. Be sure to stay up-to-date with the latest watches and warnings in your region, and prepare to take immediate action to stay safe if dangerous weather threatens your location.
DON’T MISS: How dynamic and disruptive spring storms roar to life
Severe thunderstorms possible Sunday night
A damaging ice storm is responsible for hundreds of thousands of power outages across cottage country and eastern Ontario this weekend. Saturday saw a tremendous temperature gradient develop throughout the region, with highs approaching 20°C down in Windsor contrasting with a high just a few degrees above freezing in Toronto .
This expansive warmth will set the stage for widespread severe thunderstorms south of the border heading into Sunday.
The U.S. Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued an enhanced risk for severe weather for a large portion of the country, which is a level three on the five-category scale measuring the potential for severe thunderstorms. This system could bring damaging winds and a few tornadoes south of the border.
Forecasters will watch a potential squall line from the system moving through Michigan toward southwestern Ontario around or after 8:00 p.m. ET Sunday.
Strong winds, heavy rainfall, and small hail are possible from Windsor to the Bruce Peninsula as the storms track east late into the evening. Windsor, Leamington, Chatham, Wallaceburg, and Sarnia have the highest chance of seeing strong to severe thunderstorms with this setup.
While thunderstorms are likely, there’s still some uncertainty regarding their potential severity given that they’ll happen at night and the cooler waters of the Great Lakes could serve to stabilize the atmosphere.
