Storm batters Hamilton area

A powerful storm has knocked out traffic lights, blackened at least one Mountain plaza and rained down marble-size hail on downtown Hamilton.

Police and fire crews have also been busy responding to reports of burning hydro poles and alarms in homes and businesses being set off by lightning strikes and power outages.

The weather office issued a warning for severe thunderstorms, with large hail, damaging winds, torrential downpours of 50 mm within an hour and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning.

A line of thunderstorms crossed Lake Huron this morning and storms are now popping up around Hamilton, Toronto and Kitchener, said warning preparedness meteorologist Peter Kimbell of Environment Canada.