Intense heatwave shifts into cooler, windy conditions
The sweltering multi-day heatwave that gripped the region has eased, and a cooler, much breezier air mass has taken its place.
Over the past week, Barrie has seen stifling heat with humidex readings soaring into the 40s, triggering heat warnings and raising health concerns. Environment Canada had predicted relief was on the way by Thursday, and that shift is well underway.
Thursday brought a dramatic change with cloudy skies, strong west-northwest winds reaching 30 kilometres per hour, and daytime highs topping around the low-to-mid 20s - a substantial drop compared to the 30C+ heat from earlier in the week.
Winds gusts will pick up to around 60 km/h in some areas, adding a chill in the air and making the temperatures feel even cooler. Overnight lows are expected to dip to around 10C, a sharp contrast to the warm, muggy nights we've been experiencing.
Environment Canada expects the cooler temperatures to remain through the weekend and into the start of next week. The weekend calls for some potentially unsettled weather, including a chance of showers or storms Saturday, but temperatures are expected to remain within the seasonal range.
While it's not unusual for Ontario to experience a few heatwaves, this summer definitely kicked off particularly intense, with overnight lows offering little relief.
But if you love the warmer weather, don't worry, temps will climb back into the high 20s by Tuesday and settle around 28C on Wednesday, with a slight chance of some much-needed precipitation.
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