Two people are dead and hundreds of thousands of Quebecers lost electricity after a short but violent thunderstorm blasted through the Montreal area Tuesday night.

According to police, a motorist was killed when a tree fell, crushing his vehicle at about 9:30 p.m. ET Tuesday evening.

"It was a question of seconds -- 30 seconds before, we could have saved the guy," said a Montreal bus driver.

He saw the tree fall and crash down on a car. While he rushed over to help, it was too late to save the 28-year-old man inside.

"I felt powerless ... The only thing I was able to do was take the guy's pulse," he said.
 
Another Quebec man died after being struck by lightning, according to reports.

In Lac Drolet in the Eastern Townships, powerful winds ripped the roofs off buildings, leaving two people injured.

People at an outdoor show in Montreal were sent running for cover when  the winds started bringing down tree branches.

Quebec-Hydro crews have been working non-stop to repair widespread damage to the electrical grid, after strong winds broke branches and knocked down trees.

In some cases, crews were forced to shut down the power supply in order to remove branches and trees from power lines.

Some of the power outages lasted for only a few minutes, while other residents have been without electricity for hours. However, most residents of the Greater Montreal Area should have power back by the end of Wednesday, reported CTV Montreal's Annie DeMelt. The Laurentians north of Montreal might not have electricity for days.

The storm arrived on a day when temperatures reached a scorching 34 C in the province, with a humidex reading of 47. More hot and humid weather is expected Wednesday.

The power supply disruption means no air conditioning, which means trouble for som vulnerable people.

"I open the windows but there is no breeze even from outside," said Jeanne Falaris, who is trying to assist 99-year-old Charlotte Petrellis.

"I can't keep her here, or call the CLSC, cause at 99 it's very dangerous for them," Falaris said.

With a report from CTV's Annie DeMelt and files from The Canadian Press