Toronto under heat warning as temperatures soar this weekend

Get ready to crank the air conditioner and bring out the Popsicles as this could be the hottest Toronto weekend in three years.

Temperatures soared to 31 degrees C on Saturday and on Sunday it will feel closer to 42 with the humidity.

The hot weather has caused Toronto Public Health to issue a heat alert.

680 NEWS meteorologist Jill Taylor said it’s going to be very sticky this weekend with showers or thunderstorms possible for Sunday.

“You’ll really start to notice an increase in the humidity for tonight [Friday],” Taylor said.

“It’s going to be a very hot, humid weekend [with] highs near 30 C or hotter, and humidex values that have the potential to reach 40. We could be dealing with some heat warnings from Environment Canada.”

Environment Canada issued a heat warning for Toronto, advising that temperatures could soar to the 30C- to 32C-range Saturday and Sunday.

The average high for this time of year is 27.1 C.

The heat and humidity are not welcome news to everyone, especially those at risk for heat-related illnesses including young children, people with heart or respiratory conditions, the homeless, and outdoor workers.

But, Taylor advises everyone – whether they can tolerate the heat or not – to stay hydrated and “if you are planning on spending time outdoors make sure you can get some relief at times in a cool building.”

So how can you keep your cool in the intense summer heat? Here’s what the city advises:

• Drink lots of cool water even before you feel thirsty
• Go to an air conditioned place such as a shopping mall
• Wear loose, light-coloured, breathable clothing and when outdoors wear a wide-brimmed hat
• Reschedule or plan outdoor activities during the cooler parts of the day

Click here for more tips on how to beat the heat.

People are also reminded, once again, to not leave a person or pet inside a parked car or in direct sunlight.

When the forecast calls for a high greater than 31 C and the humidex more than 40 – over a two-day span – with a low that is greater than 20 C, the city will issue a heat alert. If the same conditions are in store for three days in a row, an extreme heat alert will be issued.

During extreme heat alerts, the city opens several cooling centres to help people get relief from the blistering sun. Click here for a list.

More cooling centres:

• City of Burlington (external link)
• Town of Halton Hills (external PDF)
• Town of Milton (external link)
• Town of Oakville
• Brampton heat alert and cooling centre info

Environment Canada will only issue a heat warning in Ontario when the temperature is expected to reach 30 C or more with a humidex of 40 or more.