Latest news with #CrawfordLuke
CBC
2 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Much of Alberta can expect a heat wave this week, Environment Canada says
Social Sharing A heat wave is expected in parts of Alberta this week, with some areas of the province forecasted to potentially hit record-breaking daily temperatures. Environment Canada meteorologist Crawford Luke said "a good chunk of the province" could see heat warnings as soon as Wednesday. Most of northern Alberta is already blanketed by a heat warning. Heat warnings are issued when very high temperature or humidity conditions are expected to pose an elevated risk of heat illnesses, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Luke also said there is a chance that Thursday will be the hottest July 31 on record for Edmonton. "The previous record high was about 31 C. So that's essentially what we're forecasting for Thursday and Friday," Luke said. However, Luke said that due to the high humidity expected in the Edmonton region, the weather could feel as hot as 37 C. "So in that regard, [it's] about as hot as it gets." WATCH | Tips to cool down during the upcoming heat wave How to stay cool in a heat wave 1 year ago Edmontonians have their own ways to stay cool when temperatures rise — but what actually works and why? Travis McEwan speaks to a doctor about the key ways to avoid dehydration and heat stroke. Luke said the upcoming hot weather will be a big change from the more temperate and wet weather Alberta has been experiencing this summer. "In terms of how this summer has been going, we haven't really seen a heat event like this," said Luke. He said Alberta has not seen consecutive days of hot weather like this since May, and most of the province will experience much warmer overnight weather than usual. In areas of northern Alberta, such as Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray, temperatures are expected to be above 30°C between Wednesday and Friday. Areas in southern Alberta will also experience high temperatures this week, with Calgary reaching a high of 28 C on Friday, and Lethbridge and Medicine Hat hitting 30 C and 29 C on the same day. During a heat warning, Environment Canada recommends that people reschedule outdoor activities, limit exposure to the sun, take frequent breaks from the heat, and drink plenty of water.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fifth wettest July on record to end with sunny weather
As one of Calgary's rainiest Julys on record draws to a close, Calgarians can look forward to a few days of reprieve from the wet weather, followed by another rainy weekend. This month was the fifth wettest July on record, with 139.6 millimeters as of Sunday evening — more than double the average precipitation for July. 'We could move into fourth place or even third place today, depending on if we get into another thunderstorm,' said Crawford Luke, a meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada. 'There was one earlier this morning, and we could expect another one later today.' The rainiest ever July was in 1927, which saw a total of 245.4 millimeters of precipitation. Related 'Folkies have a plan': Calgary Folk Fest crowds prove weatherproof amid rain, mud and record cold Wet July bad news for landscaping, good news for garden centres Sunday's weather also broke temperature records, with the airport recording the coldest daytime high for July 27 since 1931. Some areas, including Bow Valley, Canada Olympic Park and Cochrane, were the chilliest on record for that day. Beginning Tuesday, however, Calgarians will be able to enjoy a few days of sunny weather — though it may come with higher-than-average humidity after the record-breaking rain. Though more showers are predicted for the upcoming long weekend, current forecasts are showing that the weather should improve in August. 'It looks like, overall, it's going to be average for precipitation over the next few weeks, and temperatures should actually be on the warm side,' Luke said. River flows elevated, but no flooding expected River levels are currently higher than normal for this time of year, but are not yet at risk of flooding, according to Frank Frigo, the city's manager of environmental management. 'Though flows are elevated, they're not at the point where any kind of overland flooding is expected, and no flood response is anticipated,' he said. However, anyone spending time on or around Calgary's rivers in the coming days should be cautious of other risks associated with elevated flows, Frigo said. 'When we have higher flows like this, the temperature of the water is cooler,' he said. 'We have the potential for near-bank erosion, and the turbidity is high — that means you can't really see through the water to notice any potential debris or hazards that might be there.' Debris in the rivers tends to collect around bridges, so extra caution is advised for those areas. Frigo said the city has also responded to more than 560 service calls over the past 10 days due to localized flooding throughout the city. 'We are seeing some localized and shorter-term ponding in open spaces and on roadways, streets and green spaces as well,' he said. 'We're trying to address those in a prioritized manner.' Calgarians are encouraged to call 311 to report any flooding concerns.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Thick smoke to linger in Sask. until Friday
Saskatchewan has been inundated with a thick blanket of smoke this week from wildfires that continue to rage on in the province's north. It looks like the haze may be sticking around for a few days. Strong northerly winds have pushed smoke from fires burning around La Ronge toward south and central Saskatchewan, prompting air quality warnings throughout the province. Regina, Saskatoon and surrounding communities, and La Ronge and surrounding communities are under air quality warnings as of Tuesday, the most severe level of air quality alert. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) confirmed that as winds from the north continue pushing smoke south, the situation may only worsen in the coming days, with no relief in store until Friday. "It looks like it's gonna linger for a couple days," Crawford Luke, a meteorologist with ECCC, said. "There's just a huge amount of smoke up north. Anytime we get into these northerly winds, unfortunately we're kind of stuck with it." Luke said a strong southerly wind is needed to keep smoke away from communities in the south. A shift in wind direction is forecasted to begin late Thursday and into Friday. Air quality alerts are likely to remain in place until then. Rainfall isn't enough to dissipate smoke Rainfall began in the province Saturday and scattered showers have continued throughout the week. Despite Saskatoon receiving 52 mm of rain since Saturday, air quality in the city remains at its worst. Luke said that although rain can help alleviate smoky skies, it can also sometimes have the opposite effect. "With rain, sometimes it can clear things out for a little bit. Other times the rain, as it's falling through the atmosphere, can actually bring down smoke from higher up in the atmosphere, so you don't actually end up cleaning the air." Luke said people in south and central Saskatchewan should limit their time outdoors as much as possible until the smoke dissipates Friday. "If people have things that they're hoping to do around the house or around the yard that's outside, [ideally] they're able to hold off until Thursday evening or Friday to do those things."
Winnipeg Free Press
22-07-2025
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg cellphone users scratch their heads over tornado alert
Winnipeggers may have received a tornado alert on their phones on Monday — some repeatedly — but it wasn't for them and they were never in any danger. While the Environment Canada emergency alert popped up on the cellphones of many Winnipeggers at about 6:30 p.m. — urging them to 'take immediate cover in a basement or interior room if weather threat approaches' — it was intended for residents in the Rural Municipality of MacDonald, southwest of the city. Some of its communities include Oak Bluff, La Salle, Brunkild and Starbuck. Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Crawford Luke said the alert was sent out when radar screens showed tornado conditions over the municipality. 'The radar looked really good (for a tornado), but we haven't received any reports of damage,' Luke said on Monday. 'A few storm watchers saw some rotation in the clouds, and a funnel cloud was spotted by someone at the airport, but to our knowledge, neither a tornado or funnel cloud did any damage.' An employee at the municipality confirmed no tornado touched down in the area. As to why Winnipeggers also received the alert, when they weren't in danger, Erik de Groot, national program and business development associate director of the Meteorological Service of Canada, said it is because of the locations of cell towers. 'The AlertReady system triggers any wireless towers that serve the zone, under an alert, including those that are outside the alert zone on the edge,' de Groot said. 'Near the edges, and even outside of the alert zone, those towers also will be serving areas outside the alert zone. Wireless devices are not aware if they are inside the alert. They receive the alert from the tower and then sound the alert. So it is possible that a user is outside the alert zone, but connected to a tower (serving) the alert zone. 'Experience has shown this can be 20 (to) 40 kilometres or more. It really depends on the tower.' While some Winnipeggers on social media said they received upwards of five alert messages for the one event, de Groot said people should only receive one alert. 'There may be multiple updates to an alert message, but the phone knows it already received it and will not 'beep' again,' he said. 'It may be possible that people have different applications that are providing different alerts or 'beeping' on any updates.' Bell MTS spokeswoman Jessica Benzinger said it, as the cellphone service provider, does not control the content, timing or frequency of emergency alerts or who gets them. 'These alerts are issued by authorized government agencies like Environment and Climate Change Canada through Canada's public alerting system,' Benzinger said. 'Bell's role is to provide the wireless network that enables alerts to reach compatible devices in the affected area. The messages pass through our network, but we do not control what's sent, how often, or to whom. Factors like location, device settings, and potential re-transmissions, from the alerting authority, may explain why some customers received multiple alerts.' Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
22-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Thick smoke to linger in Sask. until Friday
Saskatchewan has been inundated with a thick blanket of smoke this week from wildfires that continue to rage on in the province's north. It looks like the haze may be sticking around for a few days. Strong northerly winds have pushed smoke from fires burning around La Ronge toward south and central Saskatchewan, prompting air quality warnings throughout the province. Regina, Saskatoon and surrounding communities, and La Ronge and surrounding communities are under air quality warnings as of Tuesday, the most severe level of air quality alert. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) confirmed that as winds from the north continue pushing smoke south, the situation may only worsen in the coming days, with no relief in store until Friday. "It looks like it's gonna linger for a couple days," Crawford Luke, a meteorologist with ECCC, said. "There's just a huge amount of smoke up north. Anytime we get into these northerly winds, unfortunately we're kind of stuck with it." Luke said a strong southerly wind is needed to keep smoke away from communities in the south. A shift in wind direction is forecasted to begin late Thursday and into Friday. Air quality alerts are likely to remain in place until then. Rainfall isn't enough to dissipate smoke Rainfall began in the province Saturday and scattered showers have continued throughout the week. Despite Saskatoon receiving 52 mm of rain since Saturday, air quality in the city remains at its worst. Luke said that although rain can help alleviate smoky skies, it can also sometimes have the opposite effect. "With rain, sometimes it can clear things out for a little bit. Other times the rain, as it's falling through the atmosphere, can actually bring down smoke from higher up in the atmosphere, so you don't actually end up cleaning the air." Luke said people in south and central Saskatchewan should limit their time outdoors as much as possible until the smoke dissipates Friday. "If people have things that they're hoping to do around the house or around the yard that's outside, [ideally] they're able to hold off until Thursday evening or Friday to do those things."
