Severe thunderstorm watch issued for Toronto, GTA

A woman shields herself from the rain with an umbrella in downtown Toronto.

Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the City of Toronto and watches and warnings for much of the Greater Toronto Area.
The weather bulletin, released shortly after 7 p.m., warns of the potential for heavy downpours, large hail and damaging winds.
Regions expected to be affected include Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Pickering and Oshawa.
Shortly before 8 p.m., the watch was upgraded to a severe thunderstorm warning for Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham.
Several clusters of thunderstorms are expected to move into southwestern regions towards mid-evening, bringing the risk of severe storms with large hail and wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour possible, Environment Canada said.
Earlier Thursday morning, motorists had to contend with dense fog in parts of southern Ontario.
Ontario Provincial Police offered the following tips for driving in fog:
• Delay your travel until the fog burns off
• Drive slowly and activate your hazard lights if travelling below the posted speed limit
• Drive with all running lights on
• Leave ample distance between vehicles, do not tailgate
• If visibility is too limited, pull well off the travelled portion of the road and get onto the shoulder, and stay in your vehicle
• Do not use high beam headlights
Friday will bring more of the same, with early-morning fog, an afternoon high of 23 C, rain and possible thunderstorms in the forecast.
The weekend is shaping up to be a nice one.
Environment Canada is predicting sunny skies and highs of 15 C for Saturday and Sunday.