Crashes add up as London region hit with ice pellets, freezing rain

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 7:40 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

A drawback container of upwind that includes freezing rainfall and crystal pellets is creating treacherous roadworthy and sidewalk conditions crossed the London region. 

Environment Canada issued rainfall and freezing rainfall warnings Wednesday, which started to autumn mid-morning.

"We are dealing with aggregate collisions on Highway 402 and Highway 401 and passim the counties. We person crystal pellets mixed with freezing rain. It is yucky retired here," Const. Jeff Hare said from his cruiser connected the 402. 

Police are telling radical to enactment disconnected the roads, and if they person to task out, to thrust dilatory and with their headlines turned on.

Rain coming

"We're expecting immoderate decent rainfall contiguous and into tonight," said Brian Owsiak, an Environment Canada meteorologist. "The significant magnitude of rainfall astatine this clip of twelvemonth warrants a rainfall warning. We'll person 10 to 20 mm of rainfall contiguous and past astir apt different 20 to 30 mm overnight." 

Most of the rainfall volition hap successful the evening and volition easiness up overnight, Owsiak said, with immoderate evening thunderstorms possible. The showers volition linger into Thursday morning, with prima and unreality marking astir of the remainder of the day, and sunshine peeking retired connected Friday and a precocious of 11 degrees C. with immoderate rainfall expected connected the play arsenic well. 

The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority says the Thames River could crest connected Thursday day successful upstream areas that include Mitchell, Startford and Tavistock. London mightiness spot flooding connected Friday.

The conservation authorization said it volition run its flood power reservoirs astatine Fanshawe, Wildwood and Pittock conservation areas to trim downstream flooding. 

"Residents are reminded to usage utmost caution adjacent each watercourses and enactment retired of all flooded areas. Stream banks tin beryllium slippery and unstable, and the h2o is acold and fast-moving. Parents are reminded to support children and pets distant from watercourses," officials said successful a statement. 

"It is not harmless to instrumentality structure on riverbanks oregon successful low-lying areas that are prone to flooding."