Winds increasing this afternoon in areas hardest hit by the ice storm could see new, sporadic power outages.

Environment Canada says winds are forecasted to pick up early this afternoon over areas including York Region and Peel, and are expected to hit 30 kilometers per hour. The weather service says this could lead to new power outages as ice and snow-laden tree limbs could snap onto power lines.

Regions under the continuing special weather statement include Caledon, Newmarket-Georgina-Northern York Region, and Vaughan-Richmond Hill-Markham.

We will update this story as Environment Canada releases more information about the forecast.

Power Coming Back On

Hydro One crews are back out again today repairing power lines and poles, trying to get people back online after the Dec. 21 storm. About 20,000 customers serviced by the utility are still without power, including 580 in the Bolton area, 266 in the Newmarket area, and more than 4,000 in the Orangeville area. At the height of the outage, more than 100,000 customers were without power.

Meanwhile, PowerStream says there are about 2,400 customers still without power in its service area, and they are working today to get those people back online. PowerStream says it has restored power to about 95 per cent of customers who lost it in the wake of the ice storm.