A swift and relentless downpour from the remnants of hurricane Beryl brought up to 100 millimetres of rain to Montreal in a matter of hours, with more expected Thursday.
“In Montreal, the heavy rain caused numerous sewer backups, flooding under overpasses and the closure of sections of highways,” Environment Canada said.
The city’s airport received 75 millimetres of rain by 9:30 p.m. The weather agency’s rainfall warning was still in effect for parts of southern Quebec on Thursday morning after the province was pounded by rain.
“Additional rainfall amounts of 15 to 25 millimetres are expected this morning,” Environment Canada said for Montreal.
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The summer storm led to flash flooding in the Montreal region, where major highways were partially closed during the evening rush-hour traffic Wednesday.
The entrances to the Decarie Expressway were quickly blocked off as vehicles were submerged by fast-accumulating water. Drivers had a hard time getting home as parts of Highway 40 were also inaccessible.
Environment Canada says it also received reports of flooded basements and garages in Montreal.
The deluge also led to localized flooding in some areas, including parts of the city’s St-Laurent borough. Photos showed some parking lots covered in water.
Other parts of the province fared better but were still hit by heavy rain.
Environment Canada reported some of the Eastern Townships received up to 50 millimetres of rain, while Quebec City was mostly spared, with a total of six millimetres.
— with files from Global’s Annabelle Olivier and Dan Spector
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