High winds send Toronto airport equipment crashing across tarmac

TORONTO -- Ground crew members at Toronto Pearson International Airport were sent running as high winds blew large pieces of equipment into the air and across the tarmac.

Video shot Friday by a passenger in the terminal shows workers jumping out of the way as flying equipment repeatedly smashes into airline vehicles parked by the gate.

Equipment could also be seen blowing across the taxiway at one point.

The wind, which gusted up to 75 miles per hour, was so bad that airport officials issued a ground stop for several hours on Friday evening, writing on Twitter that high winds and flying debris made it unsafe for ground crews to work.

The ground stop was lifted later in the evening, but the airport warned passengers to expect delays as airlines worked to rebook passengers impacted by canceled flights from the day before.