Rain closes road, leads to flood warning in Toronto

A flood warning has been issued for parts of Toronto as a day of heavy rain forces a major road closure.

The local conservation authority issued a flood warning on Monday afternoon, pointing out that as of 2:30 p.m. areas of the Lower Don River were already near capacity with more rain to come.

The warning said that watersheds had already received between 30 and 60 millimetres of rain over 18 hours.

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In its warning, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) said the Don Valley Park, the Bayview Extension and the GO Richmond Hill line were in danger of flooding.

“All TRCA shorelines, rivers and streams within the GTA should be considered dangerous as conditions in watercourses are changing rapidly with significant rising water levels and faster flows,” the warning said.

Just before 4:30 p.m., the northbound and southbound lanes of Bayview Avenue from Pottery Road to the Bayview/Bloor extension were closed due to flooding. They reopened after 5 p.m., but a separate portion near River Street was then closed.

Toronto was among the parts of southern Ontario placed under a special weather statement for rain on Monday.

“Rain associated with a low-pressure system will continue to push into the region early this morning, tapering off this afternoon,” Environment Canada said on Monday.

The weather agency said rainfall amounts of 30 to 50 mm were expected through Monday morning — when it was expected to be heaviest — into the afternoon hours, with locally higher amounts possible.