The metropolitan area is still under a freezing rain warning, on this strangely spring-like April 5, with the risk of thunderstorms, and accumulations that can reach 10 to 20 millimeters depending on the sector. In some places, roads, streets and sidewalks can be icy, warns Environment Canada.

At the start of the afternoon, Hydro-Québec counted more than 187,000 customers without electricity across the province, including 64,000 in Montreal. The Outaouais region is particularly affected by the interruptions, with more than 70,000 customers, more than 43,000 in Montérégie, and more than 6,500 households in the Laurentians.

Spokesperson at Hydro-Québec, Gabrielle Leblanc assures that teams are “hard at work on the ground”, but that the weather conditions are difficult for the technicians.

“There are broken branches, affected wires. It was the combination of precipitation with the wind that caused the breaks in the network, “she says. Hydro-Québec plans to provide an update on operations in the coming hours.