Heat is only one part of the equation. Humidity is the make-or-break factor that can turn a warm summer’s day into an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous ordeal.
Thursday, July 24, felt like a sauna across southern Ontario. Feels-like values reached 45 in Windsor and 43 in both Toronto and Ottawa.
This wasn’t even the absolute muggiest weather of the year. That honour goes to a stretch of heat back in late June that pushed feels-like values up to 46 in Ottawa, 46 in Windsor, and 44 in Toronto.
Is this the end of the extreme heat? After all, July is the hottest month of the year across much of Canada, including southern Ontario. August is known for its bursts of heat, but it’s possible that we’re running out the clock on beating those feels-like values from late June or this past Thursday.
Folks across the region can expect to see a return of heat and humidity heading into next week as a long-duration heat wave builds south of the border. Some areas in the U.S. could see a feels-like value of 45-50 through this weekend.
The heat ridge won’t last very long. Looking beyond, forecasters see a strong signal that temperatures will dip below seasonal across southern Ontario heading into the start of August. An amplified ridge over Western Canada will help direct doses of cooler air toward southern Ontario, helping to keep readings below-seasonal to open the new month.
Header image courtesy of Solomon Hoasjoe.
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