Several parts of Canada saw scorching temperatures Tuesday as Environment Canada weather warnings warned of poor air quality, extreme heat and thunderstorms.
All but the northernmost regions of Ontario were under a heat warning throughout the day, with temperatures in the mid to high 30s Celsius and humidity feeling like the mid 40s.
Heat or air quality warnings were also issued in the west, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
In the east, Environment Canada warned of the possibility of dangerous storms in Quebec and New Brunswick, including the possibility of orange tornadoes in the area between Montreal and Quebec City, including Drummondville, Trois-Rivières and Shawinigan, which was later canceled.
The culprit for most of the warnings is a broad area of high pressure centered in the U.S. that is “generating heat warnings, heat warnings, heat warnings across areas of the U.S. Upper Plains states, parts of Manitoba, Ontario, the Great Lakes states, as well as the province of Quebec,” Environment Canada meteorologist Jeff Coulson said Monday.
“This is a widespread system that significantly exceeds seasonal temperatures.”
Several cities in southern Ontario, including Toronto, were expected to set daily heat records.
According to Environment Canada’s website, the hottest day on July 14 was recorded at Toronto’s Pearson Airport in 1995, when temperatures reached 36.7°C and humidity reached 50°C.
Temperatures topped downtown Toronto on Tuesday afternoon, reaching 36.8C at 4 p.m. ET, according to Environment Canada. Downtown, the temperature reached 37.3°C at 5:00 pm ET.
A man uses an umbrella to protect himself from the sun as temperatures rise in Toronto on Monday. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)
Much of northern Ontario, from Kenora and Thunder Bay to Fort Hope and Timmins, was also under a severe orange heat warning, while the rest of the heat warnings were in the lower yellow category.
Northern Ontario has lower thresholds for triggering weather agency heat warnings that are based on historical norms and potential impacts; for example, a humidity of 36 in the north compared to a humidity of 40 in the south.
How to keep your cool
Municipalities across the country, including Ottawa, have opened cooling stations and swimming pools to help residents beat the heat.
Some entrepreneurs have decided to take a break.
“We’ve basically decided to close for the next two days,” Sarah Bowen, social media manager for Heart and Soul Café in Ottawa, said Tuesday.
“We just want to keep our employees safe. The temperature in the kitchen will get out of control, even if the air conditioners and all the fans are running.”
Environment Canada recommends watching for early signs of heat exhaustion, which can include headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, dark urine and extreme fatigue.
Anyone showing signs of heat stroke should call 911, he said. Symptoms of heat stroke include red and warm skin, nausea, dizziness, confusion and changes in consciousness.
The agency also urges the public to turn on air conditioners, drink water frequently, close blinds and limit sun exposure. Residents should wear light, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and a hat.
Poor air quality
In addition to the heat, people in some regions also experience smoke from forest fires.
“We have significant wildfire activity in some cases, particularly west of Thunder Bay,” Coulson said. “As the winds blow from the west, we are seeing smoke plumes from the wildfires moving east towards the Thunder Bay area.”
“This could lead to poor air quality in areas affected by wildfire smoke,” he said. “So it’s almost a double whammy. “We’re already getting heat and humidity from a large-scale weather system, but then we add on top of that concerns, at least locally, about poor air quality from wildfire smoke.”
WATCH | Wildfire smoke turned Quebec skies yellow on Tuesday:
What’s hiding behind Montreal’s hazy yellow sky this morning?
The particular hue is a sure sign that there is smoke in the air from forest fires. The fires occur mainly in northern Quebec and other parts of the country. Much of the southern and western parts of the province are under severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings.
A Yellowknife emergency room doctor is advising NWT residents to regularly check their local air quality during bushfire season and consider using face masks on particularly smoky days.
Dr. Courtney Howard says well-fitted N95 masks filter out about 90 percent of small particles, making them much more effective than surgical masks. This is especially important when wildfire smoke can linger for days.
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