‘Excruciatingly hot': Heat wave expected to end Wednesday ahead of ‘stellar' long weekend
The intense heat that has invaded the city for the past three days is expected to end on Wednesday, clearing the way for a 'stellar' long weekend filled with sunshine and seasonable temperatures, CP24 Meteorologist Bill Coulter says.
The heat warning that was issued over the weekend remains in effect on Tuesday for Toronto, which will see a daytime high of 31 C today, feeling closer to 37 with the humidity.
'Confidence has increased that cooler temperatures will arrive on Wednesday, bringing an end to the heat event,' Environment Canada said in its advisory.
Wednesday will still be warmer than normal for this time of year with the mercury rising to 30 V, feeling closer to 35.
Thursday will begin a stretch of 'stellar and comfortable weather' that will continue throughout the long weekend, Coulter said earlier this week.
Thursday will see mainly sunny skies, low humidity, and a seasonable high of 26 C.
Sunshine and comfortable daytime highs of 26 C, 27 C, and 28 C are in the forecast for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday respectively, Environment Canada says.
Environment Canada's Dave Phillips said Toronto has seen 'quite a different summer than last year.'
Including this week, said Toronto has seen 23 days where the temperature rose above 30 C. At this point last year, Toronto had only seen 10 such days.
'It is something that was predicted, maybe not as excruciatingly hot as this one,' Phillips said on Monday.
'And it came late. We didn't have any days in April and May above 30, we counted them all in June and July.'
He said Toronto has seen nearly 60 hours of humidex values above 40.
'We've had more days above 30 in July than we've had not days above 30,' Phillips said.
But once the heat breaks in the middle of the week, Toronto and much of Ontario will see the best weather imaginable, he added.
'It's all going to be worth it,' he said, adding there will be 'wall-to-wall sunshine,' seasonable daytime highs, and no inclement weather in sight.
'You couldn't even manufacture a kind of weekend we are going to see.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Smoke from wildfires triggers special air quality statement in Ontario
A haze from the western wildfires as seen from Waterloo Region on June 5, 2025. The long weekend may be a smoky one for people in most of Ontario. Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement at 1:28 p.m. Saturday, warning of poor air quality and reduced visibility. 'Smoke from forest fires is expected to continue to spread south into southern Ontario this afternoon and evening. The wildfire smoke may persist for much of the weekend for parts of southern Ontario,' the notice read. The smoke is billowing from wildfires burning in the Prairies. Environment Canada warns air quality and visibility could fluctuate over short distances and vary 'considerably' from hour to hour. People living in the effected areas, including Waterloo Region, Wellington County, Brant County, Perth County and Oxford County, were encouraged to limit time outdoors and consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor activities. The weather office said some people are more likely to be impacted by the smoke, including people aged 65 or older, pregnant people, infants and young children, and people with pre-existing conditions. Anyone working outdoors for long periods of time could also feel the effects. Some people may experience eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough. Rare, but less common, symptoms include wheezing, chest pain and severe coughs.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Special air-quality warnings, statements across Canada from Prairies wildfire smoke
FILE - A city view of Toronto on Monday July 14, 2025. Wildfire smoke from the Prairies has prompted special air-quality warnings across the country. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Wildfire smoke from the Prairies has prompted special air-quality statements and warnings across the country Saturday. Smoke from forest fires is causing reduced visibility and poor air quality that is expected to persist into Sunday for some areas, according to Environment Canada. The statements span across the country stretching from eastern British Columbia and into western Quebec, varying in severity. Parts of the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario are under air-quality warnings, where Environment Canada says 'extremely high' levels of air pollution are present. Meanwhile, some areas in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec are under air-quality statements, where poor air quality is expected but at a lower health risk. Air quality warnings require the air-quality health index rating to be at 10 or higher for at least six consecutive hours, said Serge Besner, a meteorologist with Environment Canada. Meanwhile, special air-quality statements are issued when poor air-quality index ratings are around a seven, but less than 10. Areas with the poorest air quality were largely contained to the northern parts of Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Besner said, especially in places near Flin Flon, Man., and La Ronge, Sask. The Northwest Territories also saw some of the worst air quality on Saturday, with Fort Simpson forecast to have an air-quality health index rating above 10. Winnipeg was the only major Canadian Prairie city under a special air-quality statement for smoke on Saturday, although an online smoke forecast from the Alberta government anticipated air-quality health index levels of over 10 on Sunday in the province's northwest, including Fort McMurray. While the poor air-quality statements are expected to continue into Sunday, Besner said he doesn't think the air quality will worsen more than what was observed on Saturday. 'Most of the smoke is in the higher levels of the atmosphere and because we have a high-pressure system, that smoke is essentially pushed down to the surface,' Besner explained, adding that the air quality might only get worse if the smoke is pushed down quicker than what they are expecting. Reduced air quality can cause mild eye, nose and throat irritation while more serious but less common symptoms include chest pains and a severe cough, according to the weather agency. People most at risk from wildfire smoke include infants, children, pregnant people, those above the age of 65 and anyone with an illness or chronic health conditions. Environment Canada recommends limiting time outdoors and rescheduling any outdoor activities or sports. Over in the nation's capital, a special air-quality statement loomed. Though the air-quality index hovered around the 'low risk' category, Environment Canada predicted it could reach a seven some time during the day. The Ontario government forecast the poorest air quality conditions in North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury, where expected air-quality health index levels were at seven or 'high risk' on Saturday. While the Greater Toronto Area was mostly spared from special air-quality statements Saturday morning, Environment Canada included the area in its number of statements in the early afternoon. The Ontario government expected the region could see air-quality indexes of around a five or 'moderate risk' on Sunday. Severe weather statements and air quality warnings skipped over Montreal, where thousands of concertgoers were expected to attend the outdoor Osheaga music festival for its second day of events Saturday. Outside of air-quality statements, heat warnings across the West were major news as the long weekend began. In Edmonton where thousands were expected to attend outdoor events like the annual Heritage Festival and a CFL game between the hometown Elks and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, daytime high temperatures of 29 to 34 C were forecast. Local officials extended an extreme heat response until Monday. Measures included connecting water stations to over two dozen fire hydrants and having peace officers carry water bottles for distribution to people in need. This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 2, 2025.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Debris removed from sluice gate in Stratford
A sluice gate that had been stuck in the open position since a storm is once again working. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority said the sluice gate at RT Orr Dam in Stratford, Ont. was opened to release water and prevent flooding during a storm on July 24. However, something became lodged under the sluice gate, preventing it from closing again. On Thursday, the conservation authority announced the debris that had been causing the issue was safely cleared and the sluice gate was able to close. Now that the mechanical issue has been solved, Lake Victoria, which had been slowly draining while the sluice gate remained open, is refilling. 'How quickly the reservoir fills, and normal recreational activities can resume, will depend on rainfall,' a news release from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority said. It is welcome news for many of the business owners who rely on the lake for their livelihoods and for the locals and tourists who enjoy the natural beauty of the water. For now, the conservation authority will be keeping a close eye on the water levels in the area, including along the Avon River. 'Water levels may be lowered in the channel between the dam and John Street to maintain flows downstream. It is also possible that Lake Victoria may go down slightly as discharge from the dam is fine-tuned but it is not expected to fall significantly,' they said. People in the area are also asked to keep an eye out for turtles that may be on the move due to the changing water levels.
