A brief but powerful thunderstorm has knocked out power for thousands of Quebecers across the province.
At its peak, about 100,000 Hydro-Québec clients on the island of Montreal were without electricity around 4 p.m.
“Our teams are deployed to restore service as quickly as possible,” the public utility said in a tweet.
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Other affected areas include the Montérégie, the Laurentians and Beauce.
Environment Canada meteorologist Alexandre Parent said the storm ripped through Montreal, before heading east to Repentigny and Trois-Rivières.
Strong winds reached up to 93 km/h in Montreal and the South Shore, he added.
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The powerful storm also downed trees and branches across Montreal, including in Pointe-Claire.
Storm breaks humidity
The heavy rain came down as the southern half of the province grapples with extreme heat.
In Montreal, humidex values have reached more than 40 over the past two days.
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Environment Canada has also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for several areas in southern Quebec, including Montreal, Laval and Quebec City.
The weather agency warned the thunderstorms are “particularly intense” and could produce a tornado. It said strong wind gusts, nickel-size hail and heavy rain were also possible.
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After the storm, the heat warning that had been in effect for Montreal and surrounding areas was also lifted.
Temperatures are expected to return to seasonal highs over the next few days.
— With files from the Canadian Press
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