Tornado watch lifted while storm knocks out power for thousands

A tornado watch issued for parts of Simcoe County and Muskoka has been lifted. 

On Thursday morning, Environment Canada issued a tornado watch for Simcoe County, Muskoka, and Dufferin County.

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A major storm system swept through much of Simcoe County and Muskoka Thursday evening. Environment Canada was warning of wind gusts of 110km/h, nickel to toonie-sized hail and a possibility of heavy rain.

Thousands of customers appear to have lost power. Hydro One's online outage map shows more than 5,000 people in the Orillia region have lost power, with thousands more left in the dark in the Huntsville region. In Orillia, power is expected to be restored overnight while the outage may last until 6 p.m. Friday in parts of Muskoka.

“Go indoors to a room on the lowest floor, away from outside walls and windows, such as a basement, bathroom, stairwell or interior closet. Leave mobile homes, vehicles, tents, trailers and other temporary or free-standing shelter, and move to a strong building if you can. As a last resort, lie in a low spot and protect your head from flying debris.

Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors,” Environment Canada stated. 

The Barrie Baycats were scheduled to host the Brantford Red Sox. The game was delayed approximately 30 minutes in and eventually postponed to another night. 

With files from CTV's Molly Frommer.