A powerful thunderstorm battered Toronto on Wednesday, leaving tens of thousands of residents without electricity and causing widespread disruption across Canada’s largest city.

The storm unleashed torrential rainfall, destructive winds and hail, damaging buildings, uprooting trees and triggering severe flooding on major roads and neighbourhoods.

About 45,000 customers were without power by Wednesday evening as Toronto Hydro deployed emergency crews to restore electricity.

The flooding forced the closure of the Don Valley Parkway, one of the city’s major highways, while the emergency department at Michael Garron Hospital was also affected by floodwater.

In Vaughan, north of Toronto, dramatic images showed vehicles nearly submerged as floodwaters swept through parts of the suburb.

Toronto activated its Emergency Operations Centre early in the day, deploying crews to remove fallen trees, repair damaged power lines and respond to widespread flooding.

Public transport services were also disrupted, with transit authorities working to clear debris and restore affected subway and bus routes. At Toronto Pearson International Airport, dozens of evening flights were delayed or cancelled.

Environment officials initially issued an orange severe thunderstorm alert before downgrading it to a yellow warning for parts of southwestern Ontario. However, authorities warned that the threat of further storms remained.