Environment Canada issues special air quality statement, heat warning
Posted June 20, 2020 7:48 am.
Last Updated June 20, 2020 12:48 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Summer arrived in Toronto on Saturday, prompting Canada’s weather agency to issue a heat warning and a special air quality statement.
Environment Canada (EC) said in a statement early Saturday morning the region can expect a hot weekend, with the “heat event” possibly extending to Monday.
Maximum daytime temperatures could range from 29 C to 33 C, with a humidex ranging from 36 C to 39 C.
Later in the morning, EC said the temperatures were creating elevated pollution levels, prompting the agency to issue the special air quality statement.
“Hot and sunny conditions are expected to cause increasing ground-level ozone concentrations this afternoon, in the above regions,” they said in a post to their website at around 11:30 a.m. “Moderate risk Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) values are expected throughout the day with the potential of short-term high-risk AQHI values in the afternoon.”
City opens cooling centres
Toronto opened 15 cooling centres Saturday to help people that don’t have access to air-conditioning.
The centres — which include several new locations — were opened at 11 a.m.
The city says strict infection prevention and control measures will be in place to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
Anyone going to a cooling centre is asked to wear a mask, avoid using public transit or taxis, wash their hands, and follow physical distancing guidelines.
