Strong gusts, large hail reported as thunderstorms roll through London region

A severe thunderstorm warning issued early Thursday afternoon for London and Middlesex County has ended.

Warnings have also ended for neighbouring regions, including Perth, Lambton, Elgin, and Oxford counties.

The advisory, which at one point stretched from Windsor to the Greater Toronto Area and the Muskokas, said a line of severe thunderstorms was making its way east through the region at 70 km/h.

Strong wind gusts and large golfball-sized hail were reported in several areas.

“The wind was strong enough that it was pushing trees over as we were watching. One of the branches dropped in our front yard,” said Michael Wilson of Denfield, Ont.

“I went to the back of our house to look off our deck. When I got to the back of the house, there was hail… anything from nickel-sized up to about golfball-size.”

“For about six or seven minutes there, it was unbelievable. We’ve never seen a storm like that before in our lives.”

Thunderstorm warnings resurfaced briefly in the region shortly before 6 p.m. as a small storm slowly made its way northeastward. Those warnings ended shortly before 6:30 p.m.

An earlier severe thunderstorm watch advisory spanning most of Southern Ontario said isolated damaging wind gusts could occur with the passing system, and small hail, torrential downpours, and frequent lightning may be associated.

“Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year,” the advisory reads. “Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors!”