Fall colors have arrived in Ontario, but the warm, summer-like weather still persists, at least for now.
People across the province, including Windsor, Thunder Bay, Ottawa and London, are experiencing temperatures above 25 C, while in some places they are hovering around 30 C. The fall warm spell has even prompted heat warnings in the Northwest from the province.
Environment Canada has issued heat warnings in Fort Frances, Rainy Lake, Seine River and Atikokan, with temperatures expected to range between 28 and 30 C on Monday and Tuesday with humidex making it feel even hotter.
Additionally, there will be little relief from the heat overnight, with overnight lows only expected to drop to around 18C.
Fort Frances could reach 28 C; if that happens, would break the record of 27 C recorded in 1953, according to data compiled by the CBC climate panel. Ottawa and surrounding communities are also set to set heat records.
Human activity is causing climate change that increases the likelihood of extreme heat, putting vulnerable people, businesses, infrastructure and agriculture at greater risk.
A few different systems in northern and southern Ontario are reacting in a way that brought unusual heat to the region in October, explained Ray Houle, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
“We’re just in this nice area of warm temperatures with a southwesterly wind bringing some warmer temperatures from the United States,” he said. “Temperatures in the low to mid 20s for this time of year are pretty rare.”
Meanwhile, in Thunder Bay, temperatures are a little cooler, with highs of around 25C expected on Monday and Tuesday. The warmer temperatures are expected to continue until Friday, when rain and highs between 9 and 12 C are expected.
