Environment Canada says two downbursts caused damaged in Barrie and the Holland Marsh.
Wind gusts stronger than 85 km/h accompanied a band of thunderstorms that moved east across central Ontario on Thursday evening.
One of the hardest hit areas were in the Holland Marsh, where winds obliterated a barn, tossing debris across a large field. Winds also forced a tractor trailer to flip on Highway 400 north at Canal Road.
“A post-storm investigation in the area concluded that the damage was consistent with a downburst,” Environment Canada said in a report on Friday.
Meteorologist Geoff Coulson tells CTV News that gusts were likely between 90 km/h and 130 km/h.
A downburst is also responsible for the damage caused to several homes and yards in Barrie.
The wind also toppled trees and knocked out power to thousands of people across the region. Hydro One reported power outage throughout Muskoka for 5,700 customers.
Officials say the power should be back on for the majority of folks by Friday afternoon, but more rural locations might not have the lights on until Saturday night.
For the latest on hydro outages click here
People in Aurora were hit by quarter size hail; Newmarket also saw nickel size hail.
