Heavy rain in Toronto as fall storm sweeps across southern Ontario

Steady rain from a fall storm that is drenching much of southern Ontario led to a number of traffic injuries and a slow and soggy commute in Toronto Wednesday morning.

Toronto police asked drivers to slow down, as several pedestrians were struck during the rush hour due to reduced visibility.

"We need drivers to be more aware," said Const. Clint Stibbe, after a tenth pedestrian was struck Wednesday morning.

Police said all of the injuries were relatively minor, ranging from bumps and bruises to broken bones.

• LIVE BLOG Toronto traffic updates for Wednesday, Oct. 28

• Full Toronto forecast here

• Heavy rain, strong winds to pound GTA on Wednesday

City streets were already riddled with puddles by 5 a.m. Wednesday as the rain started falling before 4 a.m. By noon ET, more than 30 mm of rain had fallen in some parts of the GTA, according to Toronto and Region Conservation.

A rainfall warning is in effect for Toronto and most of southern Ontario.

The storm — driven by the remnants of Hurricane Patricia merging with a clipper system coming from the west — could deliver between 45 and 55 millimetres of rainfall today.

The city is asking residents to clear their catch basins and eavestroughs.

"We've had crews out throughout the evening, checking storm drains, making sure that leaves aren't collecting on top of catch basins. That's the biggest complication and worry right now," said Lou Di Gironimo, the general manager of Toronto Water.

Rain expected to continue 

CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland says the rain will likely continue to fall throughout the day and could affect this afternoon's commute as well.

Check out our liveblog for updates on how the fall storm is affecting traffic in Toronto.

Metrolinx is telling its customers to give themselves lots of travel time today. The transit service says the combination of the storm and more leaves dropping over the past few days could lead to slippery tracks for trains and slick road conditions for buses.

Commuters can check the status of their train or bus on the GO Transit website, service updates will be posted there, and on the transit service's mobile app. 

Strong wind gusts between 40-70 km/h are also possible during the storm and could cause power outages and some tree damage, especially closer to the lakeshore where they'll be stronger. 

Toronto Hydro has already called in extra crews to restore power to areas that might be affected by the storm.

One upside? Temperatures will rise to a high of 17 C.