Katrina brings heavy rain and wind to southern Ontario

[DLM]

TORONTO (CP) - Much of southern Ontario was lashed with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday as the remnants of hurricane Katrina blew in from the U.S.

"It's packing a good punch water wise," said Carolyne Marshall, a forecaster with the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Halifax.

"The heaviest rainfall we're seeing on radar is basically over the Great Lakes and on the U.S. side of the border," said Marshall.

The weather system, now classed as a post-tropical depression, was moving in roughly the northeast direction that forecasters expected, Marshall said.

"Southern Quebec, most of New Brunswick, parts of Nova Scotia and even parts of Labrador are going to see some rain out of this," she said.

Environment Canada issued a heavy rainfall warning early Wednesday for a stretch of southern Ontario from the Niagara region, east through Lake Ontario shoreline communities and into western Quebec and the Montreal area.

Rainfall amounts of up to 50 millimetres were expected in the warned areas, but higher amounts were likely in regions closer to eastern Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

The system was also accompanied by strong northeast winds gusting up to 70 km/h in some areas of Ontario.

Environment Canada had issued a severe wind warning for Quebec City, where northeast winds were expected to reach 90 km/h Wednesday afternoon and into the evening.

[Jillian]

Oh thanks for the information .. I have family in different parts of Canada .. So i will call and make sure that they are well also..