Authorities announced on Sunday that the death toll from violent thunderstorms in Canada’s two most populous provinces had increased to at least eight, as emergency teams worked to restore electricity to half a million people.

The storms, which lasted more than two hours and had the strength of a tornado, wreaked havoc in regions of Ontario and Quebec on Saturday afternoon. Trees were down, power poles were uprooted, and numerous metal transmission towers were toppled, according to utility firms.

On Sunday, power providers were trying to reconnect transmission lines. According to officials, the majority of the storm-related deaths happened when persons were struck by falling trees.

Justin Trudeau, the prime minister, stated that the federal government was prepared to assist individuals in need.

On Sunday, Trudeau tweeted, “We’re thinking of everyone affected, and appreciating the personnel working to restore electricity.”

In a tweet on Sunday, Hydro One, Ontario’s largest energy distribution business, said technicians were reacting to substantial damage. Environment Canada has sent out smartphone advisories about the impending storms.

Hydro One stated in a statement late Sunday that it has restored electricity to over 360,000 customers, with over 226,000 customers still without power.

The business predicted that restoration operations would take several days before power was restored to all consumers.