Ontario's false spring is persisting this week with some anomalous February thunderstorms, and residents are finding the warm, wet conditions more foreboding than enjoyable.

Tuesday afternoon brought dark skies, heavy rains, rumbling thunder and even lightning to Toronto and the surrounding area, all amid 12 C temperatures that are concerningly above average for this time of year.

#ONStorm #ONwx Move over double rainbow… we have double lightning! ⚡️⚡️

Just captured two strikes of lightning hitting the CN Tower in Toronto at the same time. 😳

- Brennen pic.twitter.com/v5fXQhkVMD

— Instant Weather Ontario ❄️ (@IWeatherON) February 27, 2024

The Windsor Region is due to get hit especially hard by this spring-like storm, with a chance of loonie-sized hail, torrential downpours and heavy winds of up to 90 km/h on Tuesday night. 

Some parts of the province have already gotten a hit of the hail, with moderate storms set to continue all around southern Ontario, including in the GTA, into Wednesday afternoon.

Thunderstorm outlook for #Ontario for tonight.

Up to loonie sized hail, and torrential downpours are possible for southwestern Ontario. Strong wind gusts up to 90 km/h are possible for the Windsor area.#onstorm #onwx #stormszn pic.twitter.com/JZ1I77vtPZ

— ECCC Weather Ontario (@ECCCWeatherON) February 27, 2024

For Toronto, The Weather Network is predicting an ongoing risk of thunderstorms tomorrow, with an 80 per cent chance of 1-3mm of rain, and thermometers again reaching 12 C — the second-highest on record for any February 28 in more than 180 years, and a sharp contrast to the high of 2.6 C on the same day last year and - 2.7 C in 2022.

Environment Canada is calling even warmer temps of 14 C, though things will drop down to a more seasonal chill by nightfall with negative double digits and a chance of flurries.

Toronto Pearson is currently experiencing frequent lightning strikes, which may lead to some flights being delayed this afternoon. https://t.co/b2onT4RS3b pic.twitter.com/JCDo8pP29j

— Toronto Pearson (@TorontoPearson) February 27, 2024

Until then, the rain is hindering operations at Toronto Pearson International Airport, which has had to delay some flights due to the lightning.

Some citizens are saying that this is the earliest in the year that they can recall experiencing thunderstorms in the city, which is worrying.

It is February 27th and here in Toronto, we're currently having a deep water rain type of thunderstorm.
(I judge deep water rain by whether or not the potholes on the road fill up with water.
They're overflowing right now.)
This is NOT normal.

— Cynthia Sax (@CynthiaSax) February 27, 2024

Meteorologists are certainly calling the current weather rare, with today's rain reaching as far north in the province as Sudbury, which is usually covered in snow in February.

But this winter has been a highly unusual one in Ontario, with patio weather when there should be parkas, and now apparently puddles where there should be snow banks.

Thunderstorms? In February?
byu/stormhunter27 inontario

As one person on Reddit so eloquently put it today, "we're f***ed," though others gave reassurance that we're simply in the midst of a more mild El Niñ0 winter, and some even embracing the balmier conditions.

Toronto to break another heat record before temperatures plummet by over 20 degrees https://t.co/w7XvJKilMQ

— blogTO (@blogTO) February 26, 2024

With countless all-time warm weather records smashed in recent weeks and only a few bouts of snow and sub-zero temperatures, it seems unlikely that we will get a real winter this season, though Wednesday night's chill and Thursday's forecast of -2 C will serve as reminders that we're not in spring proper just yet.