Not a typical Canadian autumn
It was scheduled to be a normal Canadian autumn: Cardigans, apple cider and baking. And then, summer returned with a vengeance. Millions of Canadians are now living under conditions that aren’t just unseasonably hot; they’re the hottest it’s been all year. Below, scenes from a Canada at the mercy of the heat gods.
Even the capitals of hot countries are colder than Ottawa right now
Ottawa likes to brag that it is the coldest national capital in the world, with the exception of Ulan Bator, Mongolia. But this week even diplomats from hot, snowless countries are surprised to find that their Ottawa embassies are hotter than anything back home. On Tuesday afternoon, Ottawa was at 31 C. Kingston, Jamaica, was at 29 C. Mexico City was at 23 C. Even Tehran, Iran, didn’t crack anything higher than 28 C.
Toronto shattered a weather record from 1891
Six score and six years ago, a Toronto meteorologist gazed at his mercury thermometer and likely used a quill pen to record a Sept. 25 temperature of 31.1 degrees Celsius. Victoria was still Queen, John Abbott was prime minister and Yonge Street smelled strongly of horse pee. Only on Monday was that 1891 record broken, with a reading of 31.5 C.
This was supposed to be a “quintessential” fall
Less than two weeks ago, a fall forecast by the Weather Network had no portent of the awesome heat wave to come. Predicting a “quintessentially Canadian fall” and “better-than-average leaf-viewing weather,” the network said temperatures in both Quebec and Ontario would be “near normal.”
It was too hot to run the Montreal Marathon
Alarmed by the prospect of runners dropping dead from heat stroke, the full Montreal Marathon was cancelled on Sunday. Dedicated runners tried to get their marathon fix by signing up for a marathon in Rimouski, a city five hours to the northeast. Meanwhile, a half marathon and a 10K race in Montreal left nearly 900 requiring medical attention. Normally, only 500 end up at first aid tents, even when the full marathon is on.
It snowed in Alberta The vast majority of Canadians live in the ridiculously hot parts, but it’s still business as usual in Western Canada. Edmonton logged its first autumn snowfall on Sept. 19 — a mere 10 days after the city’s hottest day of the year. Heavy snowfall also hit Banff, only five days after Banff National Park had seen its summertime campfire bans rescinded.
It’s still cold in the Arctic No matter how hot it gets in Canada, it’s comforting to know that it’s always cold somewhere. On Tuesday afternoon, the brave men and women stationed at CFS Alert were enduring temperatures of a respectable -20 C.