Quebec is bracing for the first heatwave of the summer this week, with temperatures expected to climb above 30 degrees between Tuesday and Friday. Hot weather was already a reality in Montreal and several other regions on Sunday. However, this first heat wave is likely to be less oppressive.
Posted at 10:50am.
“What we’re seeing right now is really a run of hot weather from Tuesday through next Friday, so three or four days where the highs will stay around 30 degrees. It would potentially be a first heatwave in the province,” explains Environment Canada meteorologist Amélie Bertrand.
In the short term, the hot weather expected in several regions on Sunday is unlikely to last. Temperatures should drop back to the day’s seasonal normal, around 23 or 24 degrees in Montreal, on Monday as a slew of cold air blows in from northern Quebec.
But it will only be a brief respite. As of Tuesday, warm weather will return, exceeding 30 degrees in several regions. The sectors most affected by this heatwave are likely to be Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Laurentides, Lanaudière, Outaouais, Montreal, Mauricie, Capitale-Nationale, Estrie and Beauce.
Less “overwhelming” heat
However, this first heat wave will be special because “it will not be accompanied by much humidity,” says Ms. Bertrand. “The temperatures are between 30 and 32 degrees, but the humidity is between 32 and 34,” she explains. It’s still a dry heat wave so to speak, which means it won’t necessarily be overwhelming, although the sun will be very present. »
She explains the situation by saying that an anticyclone “will be stationary over southern Ontario and New England next week,” the meteorologist brings up. “There will also be very little wind. The air will be dry, but with the accumulation of several days in the same conditions, we will still reach quite high temperatures,” notes the specialist.
Environment Canada is also advising the public not to stay out in the sun for too long this week and to drink plenty of water if they do.
So after a cloudier and grayer spring, the week ahead will be very different than it has been for the past few months. However, one problem remains, stresses Amélie Bertrand. “The problem we have is that it hasn’t rained much lately and there is no precipitation in sight. It can be problematic if there is no humidity and it stays dry knowing that the fire indices are currently high. »
Note: Such a temperature is quite rare in May, but not without precedent. Last year, from May 12th to 14th, a very humid heat wave was registered. A “derecho”, a rare weather phenomenon that had not occurred since 1999, then caused violent thunderstorms, strong winds and considerable damage to property at the end of May.
“It’s not uncommon, but it doesn’t happen every year either. “It sometimes happens that in some summers we experience two days in a row of 30 degrees, but without the three consecutive days that trigger a heat wave,” concludes Ms. Bertrand.
The earliest heat waves in Montreal since 1941
- May 17-19, 1962
- June 3-5, 1967
- 21-23 May 1977
- May 27-30, 1978