Flood warning issued for Toronto due to storm, 10 dead in US

Toronto: Canadian authorities have issued a flood warning in the Greater Toronto Area as a powerful storm is causing hazardous conditions in North America.

"Due to the potential for further snowmelt caused by above freezing temperatures in the region, rivers within the Greater Toronto Area will be experiencing higher flows and water levels, resulting in hazardous conditions," said an advisory issued by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority cited by Xinhua news agency.

In the advisory, the authority called on residents in the area to exercise "extreme caution" around all bodies of water and avoid driving on flooded roadways in low-lying areas and underpasses. The flood warning is in effect until January 12.

Toronto Police said on Twitter that they have reported road closures in the area due to flood-like conditions.The area could witness between 40 and 60 millimetres of rainfall by Saturday evening. Strong winds of up to 80 kilometres per hour are expected on Sunday morning, the authorities added.

The fast-moving storm raged through the southern United States on Saturday, leaving at least 10 people dead and a trail of destruction in its wake, The New York Times reported.

Powerful winds pummeled Georgia and Tennessee, officials issued flood warnings in Mississippi and strong gusts were predicted in the Midwest. Warnings of hail and snow followed closely behind, extending from Oklahoma up through Michigan.

"This is one of the stronger systems that we have seen in recent years," Kurt Van Speybroeck, an emergency response specialist at the Southern Region Headquarters of the National Weather Service, was quoted as saying. High winds were expected in Ohio and along the East Coast.

Residents from Western New York to Cleveland were told to expect gusts up to 60 mph on early Sunday morning.