On July 22, more than 58,000 homes across Quebec were without electricity, including over 40,000 in the city of Laval, after violent thunderstorms hit the province the previous day.
The storms on July 21 brought intense winds and heavy rain, leading to widespread damage to infrastructure and knocking out power lines in multiple municipalities.
Utility crews have been dispatched to assess the damage and begin restoration work. Residents in the affected areas reported loss of lighting, heating and refrigeration, prompting concerns about food safety and comfort during the hot summer.
Local authorities have advised customers to conserve remaining power and to report outages through the utility's hotline. The outage is expected to last several hours, though no specific timeline has been provided.
The incident follows a series of weather events that have strained Quebec's electrical grid this summer, highlighting the vulnerability of the network to extreme weather.
Officials said that once crews complete repairs, power should be fully restored, and they will continue to monitor conditions for any further disruptions.
Businesses and public facilities in Laval have reported interruption of operations, with some relying on backup generators while repairs continue.
The restoration effort involves coordination between the electricity provider, municipal authorities and emergency responders to prioritize critical sites such as hospitals and water treatment plants.
Residents have been urged to check on vulnerable neighbors and to limit use of high‑consumption appliances until power is restored.
Officials anticipate that most of the affected customers will have electricity back by the evening, although final restoration could extend into the next day if additional damage is uncovered.