Summer heat to return to GTA as cooler-than-usual August wraps up

A fall feel has taken over the GTA over the last couple of days of August, but summer-like conditions are expected to return during the Labour Day long weekend.

Toronto did not see a single 30 C day in August and there are frost advisories out for parts of cottage country early Thursday where temperatures fell well into the single digits overnight. It was just 7 C in Oshawa at 6:40 a.m.

CityNews meteorologist Jill Taylor says that trend will be turned upside down when extreme heat and humidity makes comeback as September arrives. From Sunday to Wednesday the GTA is expected to see a four-day stretch of daytime highs in the low 30s.

“It will create a bit of a heat dome over us,” Taylor says.

Toronto and the GTA will see a high of 22 C with sunshine on Thursday before things dip down to the low teens overnight. It will be slightly warmer and sunny again on Friday with a high around 24 C before things really warm up for the long weekend.

“By Labour Day Monday it will feel like 40 (with the humidex) and that will extend into Tuesday and Wednesday,” says Taylor. “For the long weekend we will increase the clouds Saturday but most areas will stay dry.”

The City of Toronto has extended the closing dates for 10 outdoor pools by three weeks in order to provide relief for residents. The pools were scheduled to close on Monday, but will now remain open between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 7 p.m. on weekend until Sep. 24.

The city says more than 140 splash and spray pads across the city will also continue to operate between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. until Sep. 17.

For a full list of what’s open and closed on the Labour Day holiday Monday click here.