Extreme heat to hang on for days despite end of heat warning

The extreme summer heat is hanging on even though an official heat warning has come to an end for Toronto and the GTA.

CityNews meteorologist Jill Taylor says there will be little relief from the furnace-like conditions despite the formal warning from Environment Canada ending on Thursday morning.

“It feels like 35 instead of feeling like 40, so for some people it may not make much of a difference at all,” says Taylor. “It is a little less sticky for us today.”

Taylor says there will not be a real break from the heat until after the weekend.

The CityNews guaranteed high for Thursday is 30 C with humidex values reaching 35. The daytime high will remain around 30 C for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, before a relative cool down, a daytime high of 27 C, in store for Monday.

The sweltering temperatures are taking a toll on the most vulnerable residents, with the Ministry of Long-Term Care reporting 90 homes still do not have air conditioning in residents’ rooms. Legislation passed last year required all homes in the province to install air conditioning in all rooms by June of this year.

The province blames the delays on the pandemic and supply chain issues.

It was so hot in the city on Tuesday that downtown Toronto was recorded as the hottest spot in all of Canada, peaking at a temperature of 35.2 C.

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Scorching temps across most of Canada

There may be no more heat warning for southern Ontario, but Environment Canada has issued heat warnings for a number of provinces, with temperatures expected to reach or surpass 30 C over the coming days.

The heat advisories cover large swaths of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec, with residents warned some areas may not see cooler temperatures until the weekend.

Environment Canada says the humidex values could hit 40 C.

The weather agency reminds people that hot and humid air can also bring deteriorating air quality, and encourages them to watch for the effects of heat illness, which includes swelling, rash, cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

British Columbia’s Public Safety Ministry is also alerting people to be ready for a heat wave, releasing a statement that while an extreme heat emergency is not expected, heat warnings are possible in some areas, beginning as early as Saturday and continuing into next week.

Environment Canada says heat in the mid- to high 20s should reach the south coast and parts of the northern Interior by next week, while the Okanagan, central and southeastern B.C. could see temperatures nudging the high 30s over the same period.

The ministry says a heat plan is “critical” and people should identify cool zones in their homes and at nearby community centres or libraries.

With files from The Canadian Press