The Canadian Weather Service has issued a special statement regarding Toronto, where heavy rainfall is expected over the Golden Horseshoe area in the next twenty-four hours.

Environment Canada warns of heavy rainfall that may affect urban centers in Eastern Canada, including Ottawa, Montreal, and possibly Toronto.

According to the national weather agency, parts of Southwestern Ontario and Toronto may experience rainfall amounts between 25 and 50 mm from Thursday night to Friday.

The national weather agency stated that parts of Quebec and the Maritime regions could see more than 100 mm of rain.

During a virtual press conference Thursday afternoon, Jennifer Smith, a national meteorologist at the Canadian Environment and Climate Change Department, said that heavy rains could cause localized flooding in urban environments.

Smith said, "Significant impacts may occur in large urban centers, such as Ottawa, Montreal, and possibly even Toronto, especially if heavy bursts occur over an exposed area."

She noted that two weather systems are expected to merge, creating a substantial amount of moisture in the atmosphere.

Smith added, "You have a system over the Great Lakes... and we have a lot of moisture coming in linked to the remnants of (tropical storm) Debby."

"So, the two are feeding off each other in the sense that we are supplying an existing system with a lot of moisture. This would give the atmosphere the ability to develop into showers and thunderstorms and heavy rainfall for us."

Smith urged those in affected areas to monitor weather alerts.

She said, "There may be localized flooding simply due to the lack of effective drainage for urban environments for rainfall in a short time frame."

"We have already seen a lot of rain in Eastern Canada last summer, so anything that can absorb more water is already saturated. So, flooding on the ground and so forth is likely a result of that."

Just three weeks ago, Toronto experienced widespread flooding and power outages after nearly 100 mm of rain fell in just three hours.

Sections of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway were closed after water flooded busy roads, stranding some drivers.

Water inundated basements, subway stations, and retail spaces at Union Station.

Smith said before the impending storm, "Just be mindful of the potential for flash flooding. It could cause water to pool on the roads, and it’s dangerous to be in the water, so just be cautious of the environment the storm creates and plan accordingly."