Numerous lightning strikes, periods of hail and heavy rain were all part of an unusual winter thunderstorm that rolled through Mississauga and other parts of the GTA on Tuesday.
Pearson Airport officials said Canada’s biggest and busiest airport was the target of numerous lightning strikes in addition to heavy rain for parts of yesterday afternoon.
Not that far from Pearson, Mississauga resident Uday Bhatt caught some of the storm action on video (see below) near his home in the Derry Road and Hurontario Street area.
Bhatt said in an email to insauga.com that his footage captured both a “massive lightning strike” and hail pelting the roof of a home.
He added the powerful storm at its height on Tuesday afternoon caused his house and others in the neighbourhood to shake and “cars alarms to go off along with a rare hailstorm in the month of February.”
Pearson Airport officials urged travellers on Tuesday to check their flights ahead of time as the lightning strikes caused some delays.
According to Environment Canada, Wednesday will bring showers and a risk of thunderstorms, with temperatures rising to 13 C by 10 a.m., then sharply falling after that.
Meanwhile, airport officials said in a post to social media on Wednesday morning that unsettled weather looks to be on tap today.
“Yesterday’s thunderstorms were back today, but it looks like it’ll be a smooth morning for passengers this morning at the airport. However, as temperatures drop quickly and rain persists, there’s a real chance the mercury will drop below 0 C and those rain showers will turn to snow showers, and potentially flash freezing this evening,” Pearson’s post reads.
Hail pelted roofs of homes in many parts of Mississauga during Tuesday’s thunderstorm.
This shot was taken at Pearson Airport in the aftermath of Tuesday’s rare winter thunderstorm. (Photo: Pearson Airport X)
