It’s the summer we’ve been waiting for. After a summer season marked by bad weather, cloudy skies and even a tornado warning in southern Quebec in mid-July, the heat wave has arrived in several regions of Quebec. So much so that the school service center in Coeur-des-Vallées, in Outaouais, announced on Tuesday the closure of its facilities for the day.
The metropolitan area is under a heat warning from Environment Canada, with Humidex levels potentially exceeding 40 on the hottest days, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Monday afternoon, the humidity of 38 ° C had not dampened the enthusiasm of the Montreal population: the few swimming and paddling pools that were open despite the Labor Day holiday were overcrowded, as were the parks.
After all, how can you not enjoy these scorching hot days after this “shitty summer,” Anthony argues with a laugh. Together with his girlfriend Maria, he brought his portable grill to La Fontaine Park, conveniently placed in the shade on the grass. “It’s almost our first barbecue of the summer. “Everything was soaked the whole time,” he continues, overseeing the cooking of his beef loins.
The same applies to Pierre, who is going to the tennis court with two friends. “We don’t play at high intensity, so the heat doesn’t bother us,” he explains. And it was difficult to play because of the rain. I complained so much about the rain this summer! »
At the popular Laurier swimming pool in the park of the same name, the line numbered more than a hundred people early Monday afternoon. The pool will be exceptionally open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to provide Montrealers with a water break during these heat waves.
At the end of the line, Malorie waited with her child and partner, not too keen on the heat. “I’m pregnant, so it didn’t bother me when it rained this summer,” she says. When it’s cooler, it’s easier to switch to sleep mode. »
And Montreal is anything but calm. As always, there was a dense crowd of people waiting outside the famous restaurant La Banquise. The heatwave didn’t stop foodies from indulging in some good Putin. In the Village, rue Sainte-Catherine, many passers-by use the mini golf courses. This is the case for Jasmine and Mara, who traveled from the south coast to visit friends. “It’s a good temperature to go out on a patio… in the shade,” says Jasmine.
School closures in Outaouais
The heat wave is so severe that the School Service Center (CSS) in Coeur-des-Vallées in Outaouais has announced the closure of all primary and secondary schools and daycare centers from September 5th. The CSS points out on Facebook that its vocational and adult education centers remain open.
The school service center has more than twenty schools and vocational training centers in which 7,000 young people and 600 adults study. It serves 26 communities, including part of the city of Gatineau.
Unusual temperatures
These temperatures, reminiscent of July, are unusual but not exceptional, says Guillaume Perron, a meteorologist with Environment Canada. “This has happened in the past, 30 degrees in September,” he notes, citing the end of September 2017 as an example.
Environment Canada recommends drinking as much water as possible, limiting outdoor physical activity to the coolest hours of the day and favoring shaded areas. The heat warning applies to western and southern Quebec, which includes Abitibi, Centre-du-Québec, Capitale-Nationale, Estrie and the Montreal metropolitan area. Outaouais and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean are also being targeted.
From Thursday, temperatures are likely to drop again, although the humidity in Montreal could be around 35 ° C, warns Guillaume Perron.
Although it is difficult to attribute this exact heat wave to climate change, Mr. Perron nevertheless notes that “in the context of climate change, we expect heat waves to occur more regularly in September, with higher extreme values.”
This heat wave comes at the end of a summer that wasn’t particularly hot. “The temperatures were normal in July,” Mr. Perron recalls. What was special, however, was that we were above or below normal in August. »
The week promises to be hot, especially for those who work outside or for students who study in unair-conditioned classrooms. But regardless, Montreal is making the most of its short summer.