POWER OUT: Nearly 8,000 customers in the dark in southern Ontario city

UPDATE: Milton Hydro said one of the outages has been repaired and 4,106 customers were still without power as of around 4:15 p.m.

Nearly 8,000 residences and businesses are in the dark due to power outages in Milton.

The outages started around 2:40 p.m. on Thursday as heavy rain and thunderstorms hit the Greater Toronto Area. Milton Hydro says 7,966 customers were impacted as of 3 p.m., with outages in four separate areas confirmed.

In an update, Milton Hydro said three of the outages were caused by a tree contact and weather. It could take until at least 8 p.m. for service to return.

The Halton Regional Police Service says officers have received multiple calls for downed trees on roadways across the region due to high winds.

“Please exercise caution if you are driving this afternoon and evening and stay home if possible,” police said in a post on social media.