Mother Nature’s turning up the heat
Weather Network forecast calls for many sunny, hot days ahead
Stock up on the sunscreen and make sure you have plenty of cool drinks on hand, this summer for the most part is going to be sunny and hot with some stormy weather thrown into the mix, says Michael Carter, a meteorologist with the Weather Network.
“We expect the heat to be frontloaded,” Carter said as the networked released its annual summer forecast on Monday. “The story for the next several weeks is there will be lots of opportunities for warmth.”
The forecast for a hot summer comes after a spring filled with cooler-than-average temperatures.
The heat should make for some good beach weather — better than last year when high water levels played havoc with local beachfront, particularly in St. Catharines at Port Dalhousie’s Lakeside Park.
“It’s good news,” Carter said. “We don’t see the widespread problem we had last year. We lost a lot of beach time.”
That's because when high water levels finally receded, beaches were left in a mess.
“There was a lot of cleanup needed,” Carter said.
The Weather Network forecast came at the start of the week just as the region issued its first excessive heat alert of the season with temperatures climbing to 31 C.
On days such as Monday, Carter said its always important for people to use sunscreen and remain hydrated.
“In summers like this one, we can expect a lot of humidity,” Carter said, adding there will not be the typical night time cooling with temperatures dropping back down to the teens.
“We’ll see those night time temperatures remain in the 20s so your body doesn’t get the chance to cool down. Pay attention to what your body is saying, stay hydrated and give your body a break.”
But it’s not to say Niagara’s weather will be all smiles and sunshine, Carter said.
“There will be some stormy conditions,” he said.
Those storms, however, won’t mean precipitation levels will be higher than normal.
And, he said, storms will be localized.
“It’s the hallmark of the classic thunderstorm. It’s like your baseball field gets rained on while the next one over is not.”
Average temperatures in St. Catharines area should be 24.5 C in June, jumping to 27 C in July before dropping back to 26 C in August. But that doesn’t mean those temps are cast in stone.
“They can vary as much as three, four, five degrees above or below those averages,” Carter said.