Environment Canada issues special alert for Toronto as weather gets stupid wonky

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Toronto has taken on an eerie ambiance as mid-December temperatures rise to more than 16 C and strong winds howl through the city.

If it weren't for all the Christmas lights and various other holiday decorations, you could almost swear it was April... which is weird, and in many ways troublesome — to the point of a formal alert being issued.

A special weather statement is now in effect for the City of Toronto as Environment Canada warns of "strong southwesterly winds" gusting between 70 km/h and 90 km/h today.

Special Wx Statement for strong, potentially damaging wind continues for #Toronto and GTA with Sw wind gusts 70-80km/hr for Thursday afternoon. Others have been upgraded to WIND WARNING with gusts to 90km. Areas below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/hy6cYFM0Pd
— Jill Taylor (@JillTaylorCity) December 16, 2021

If you have yet to poke your head outside, I can assure you that the wind arrived before sunrise and has persisted throughout the morning.

the wind in Toronto is crazy, tell me why I’m sitting on a bench holding on for dear life to my luggage 🤣
— カーラ💛 (@Karlahopieee) December 16, 2021

According to meteorologists, heavy gusts could cause problems well into Thursday evening.

Record breaking highs of 16c, Special Weather Statement, Wild winds up to 80 km/h, risk of showers = Welcome to December 16, 2021 in Toronto where even the weather isn't normal...but what is these days?? Friday: high 6c, sunny, Saturday: Snowy 5-10cm. #citywx @breakfasttv pic.twitter.com/WZw9E1Le13
— Frankie Flowers (@FrankFerragine) December 16, 2021

"A Colorado Low moving through Ontario today will bring strong winds throughout most of northeastern and southern Ontario," reads the EnviroCan statement, issued early Thursday morning.

"Utility outages may occur. High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break."

The winds in Toronto be stronger than our government https://t.co/gS4TzE4nmv
— Just Call Me Ces (@justcallmeces) December 16, 2021

It's of note that the federal weather agency also warned of winds reaching speeds of "up to 90 km/h" ahead of a truly vicious storm that saw wind gusts of more than 100 km/h in some parts of the city.

Hundreds of thousands were without power locally on Saturday and Sunday due to fallen trees and hydro lines. Structural damage was reported all over Ontario.

It’s windy on Lake Ontario this morning, but nowhere near as bad as the winds on Saturday!#onstorm #Toronto #Ontario pic.twitter.com/vi1dC5Z0Rn
— Hello 2021! (@ReinventYourDay) December 16, 2021

"While Thursday's system won't be quite as potent as last weekend's windstorm across southern Ontario, gusts will be comparable, and further damage and power outages are possible throughout the day," reads a Weather Network update foreshadowing today's windy madness.

"Wind gusts between 60-80 km/h are expected across southern and northeastern Ontario, with even stronger gusts of 90+ km/h threatening the Great Lakes' shorelines."