Montrealers should prepare for a hotter-than-normal summer, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) seasonal outlook released Friday.
The forecast indicates above-average temperatures are likely across much of Canada, including Southern Quebec. Environment Canada noted that Canada’s average summer temperature has increased by about 1.65 C since 1948.
“Overall, you’ve got to expect heat and humidity periods, which we often see in Montreal during the summer season,” Jennifer Smith, a national warning preparedness meteorologist with ECCC, said during a briefing with the media on Friday.
Smith said severe thunderstorms are among the main weather hazards Montrealers should be aware of this summer, noting much of the region’s warm season precipitation comes from thunderstorm activity.
The outlook is similar to that of 2025, when ECCC forecast a warmer-than-average summer for much of the country in 2025. Montreal later experienced multiple heat waves, with temperatures reaching 35.1 C during an August heat wave and the city’s public health reported 8 heat-related deaths.