Rain, storms and a sharp cooldown ahead for southern Ontario

Julie Atchison has the latest forecast for southern Ontario

A heavy rainfall warning is in effect for portions of Middlesex and Lambton counties, as well as southern Huron, Perth and Oxford counties, with 20 to 40 millimetres of rain expected.

The rest of southern Ontario is under a special weather statement indicating the potential for additional rainfall.

“There’s even the risk of thunderstorms. We’ve received a lot of rainfall this week and the ability for the ground to absorb more moisture is going to be lacking, especially as we head into tonight,” said CTV News meteorologist Julie Atchison.

Temperatures this afternoon are expected to reach the upper teens to low 20s, with muggy conditions.

“You can feel the moisture as we head over the next 24 hours,” Atchison said. She said conditions are expected to clear on Friday, with cloud and sunny breaks in the afternoon and a mix of sun and cloud overall.

Atchison said another weather system is expected to move in Saturday night with the passage of a cold front.

“That’ll be a game changer for the weekend forecast,” she said, adding temperatures are expected to drop Sunday, with the risk of mixed precipitation north of the city.

“We will be drying out a bit, with a rough weekend though with some rain and gusty winds on Saturday and a big cool down coming for Sunday,” Atchison said.