13 hours ago
Heat wave breaks after days of scorching humidex: Here's what to expect now
Dozens of families flock to Centennial Beach in Barrie to try and beat the heat. (CTV Barrie)
After three days of blistering heat, residents can finally breath a little easier. The stretch of hot, dry and humid weather finally broke on Wednesday, bringing some relief to the region after daytime highs had felt as warm as 43C and higher with the humidex.
Environment Canada had issued heat warnings for the multi-day event as the combination of high temperatures and humidity created dangerous conditions.
'It's the first heat wave of the year. That's always the worst,' said David Phillips, Environment Canada's senior climatologist in an interview with CTV News last week.
The extreme heat had people flocking to beaches and splash pads, while health and safety officials issued repeated warnings to not leave children or pets unattended in vehicles where temperatures can become fatal in minutes.
Lawns across the region also began to show signs of stress, turning from lush green to yellow as the heat gripped the region.
Wednesday's weather marks a turning point, with cooler air moving in and daytime highs settling around 31C - still warm, but more manageable.
Experts say more seasonal weather is expected in the days ahead.
Thursday will see daytime highs around 23C, with the possibility of afternoon showers, a welcome change for thirsty gardens and dry patches of grass. Then Friday brings a risk of thunderstorms, with temps climbing to 25C. By the weekend, skies are expected to clear again with a forecast high of 28C on Saturday.
Still, Phillips believes we are in for a warm summer, which seems to be the trend.
'It shouldn't surprise us, globally, we saw the warmest summer on record two years ago. Last year was the second warmest in Canada. The last time we had a cool summer was 33 years ago,' he concluded.
