Last weekend’s heat a preview of summer weather ahead, Environment Canada predicts

Some like it hot, and those that do will find much to enjoy, unlike the last few summer seasons

GET OUT YOUR SUNSCREEN, patio chairs and drink umbrellas – this summer is going to be hot, hot, hot.

Weather guru Dave Phillips, senior climatologist for Environment Canada, says this summer could see a higher than average number of days reading above 30 degrees. He says last weekend’s hot, sticky weather could be a glimpse into the area’s future.

“I think the weekend may very well be a dress rehearsal, or a dry run for the summer,” he said, adding that Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday posted well above average temperatures. “Normally in your neck of the woods, June should be around 23 or 24 C for the high. We have had a couple of days above 30 C already, but those were one or two-day wonders. Now, we are going to see a stretch of pretty nice weather.”

Summer officially started at 6:48 p.m. on Monday evening, and now that the summer solstice has passed, Phillips looked into the next few months, predicting a hotter than average summer – especially compared to the previous three years.

“I am looking at the next month, and I am seeing temperatures where the nights are going to be a bit warmer than they normally are, and it is going to consistently be 25 C to 26 C heading into July,” he said.

Over the past few years, the region has seen lowerthan-average temperatures, and Phillips says that will change in the coming summer months.

“The average number of days above 30 C is about eight. Last year you had five; the year before that, two. The year before that, seven. So the last three years have been incredibly comfortable, and let’s just say that I have enjoyed the last three summers. Other people who really like the summers hot have felt kind of shortchanged and certainly, what we see, is it may be more like 2012, that is when we had 29 of those hot days above 30 C, and that was pretty brutal,” he said. “So, it may be more heat, humidity and haze than we have seen in the last three years, but clearly, our models suggest that it will be milder than normal, warmer than normal, both day and night.”

The average amount of rainfall is also down in the region, says Phillips, and that could be the case right through the summer. He says the hot temperatures could take us all the way into the autumn months.

“What we are seeing with our models, is that they are suggesting that the next month will be warmer than normal, and right through July and August, and right through until September we are seeing the flavour of summer,” he said, adding that there seems to be a consensus about the forecast from weather services around the world. “Basically, we are saying what the various weather services are saying – the Europeans and the Americans all seem to be singing from the same song sheet here.”

He says water temperatures are all on the way up, giving some relief to the hot, hot weather in the area.

“I see more people now at the beach or the pool doing water activities, so that is good,” he said, adding that water hasn’t been heating up as quickly as in previous years. “Temps had been a little bit cooler than normal.”

He says that it is time to look at the weekend forecasts to make the most of time off work, sitting in the sun with a cold drink.

“We don’t care about what happens on Wednesday or Thursday: it is all about the weekend,” he said with a laugh. “We live for the weekend, so if we can keep our weekends warm, sunny and dry all summer, then we would all be happy campers for sure.”