Hamilton, Burlington, Brantford under severe thunderstorm warning

Hamilton, Burlington, Brantford under severe thunderstorm warning

Environment Canada says storm capable of producing strong wind gusts and quarter-size hail

Thunder boomed and rain poured in downtown Hamilton around 8 a.m. Friday as Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the region.

The storm, moving east in the area, is capable of producing strong wind gusts and quarter-size hail, the federal weather agency said.

"Local utility outages are likely. Damage to roofs, fences, soft shelters or trees is likely. Large hail may cause significant damage and injury," Environment Canada said.

The agency warned people in the area to take cover immediately if a storm approaches.

Northern Niagara is under a storm watch, with the weather agency saying conditions are favourable for the development of such a storm.

Most of southern Ontario remains under a heat warning. In Hamilton, Environment Canada forecasts a high of 32 C and Humidex of 43 Friday.

Justin Chandler is a CBC News reporter in Hamilton. He covers stories of all kinds from places including picket lines, court rooms, council meetings and research labs. Justin has a special interest in how public policy affects people, and loves a quirky human-interest story. Before CBC Hamilton, he worked for TVO and on a variety of CBC teams and programs. He co-hosted Radio Free Krypton on Met Radio.