Intense storm expected to slam Toronto and Southern Ontario with extreme winds

Now would be an excellent time to secure any patio furniture or other loose outdoor items, because it's going to get extremely windy in Toronto and Southern Ontario starting Wednesday.

And I promise I'm not exaggerating.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for the City of Toronto early Tuesday morning, warning of an oncoming cold front that threatens to batter the city with "Strong winds Wednesday into Wednesday night."

"Westerly winds gusting 70 to 80 km/h are expected Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday evening in the wake of strong cold front," reads the statement, adding that the harshest winds are expected "near the eastern shores of the Great Lakes where wind gusts up to 90 km/h may occur."

Significant weather outlook valid for Wednesday and Thursday. 🌬️ ❄️#ONStorm #ONwx pic.twitter.com/F8q9YHbxEd

— ECCC Weather Ontario (@ECCCWeatherON) November 27, 2022

If 90 km/h sounds like a lot, that's because it is. At 75 km/h, winds are strong enough to cause damage to buildings, and by that 90 mark, even trees can be uprooted.

If you need a clearer frame of reference, 118 km/h is considered hurricane-force wind.

Been a bit quiet for me since the Buffalo event, but I’m watching a new storm shaping up for Ontario mid week next week. We are now getting into winter storm season. #ONStorm pic.twitter.com/eFqQLcXPPy

— Mark Robinson (@StormhunterTWN) November 25, 2022

Environment Canada is indeed warning of damage, though not quite as severe as what these wind speeds are capable of in the worst hypotheticals.

00z HRRR is showing an interesting widespread snow squall set up for Thursday after the cold front passes. The winds will be strong enough to bring these squalls farther east then we normally see. #ONStorm pic.twitter.com/9SWio1tswj

— WeatherCAN (@1Weathercanada) November 29, 2022

"Strong winds may toss loose objects and cause tree branches to break. Isolated utility outages may occur," cautions the government agency. "Winds are expected to ease from west to east Wednesday night."

Wednesday's forecast calls for a high of 8 C with rain and an overnight low of -2, and a chance of flurries. Above-freezing weather won't stick around for much longer, with daytime highs expected to plunge into the negatives next week.

So say goodbye to that damp late fall weather and get ready to welcome the long Canadian winter.

Because, like Axl Rose famously sang, "nothin' lasts forever, even cold November rain."