Montreal weather is about to fry us with heat — At least the aurora borealis will be 'cool'
It could feel close to 40 C with the humidex. 🥵 💦
People cool off in the fountains and water basins of Esplanade de la Place des Arts on a hot summer day in Montreal.
Do you have an air conditioner? Access to a swimming pool? Enough ice to fill your bathtub? However you go about it, you're going to want to find ways to cool down this week. Environment And Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued a special weather statement for the Montreal area, warning that an extended heat wave is on its way.
If this news has you kicking yourself for staying in town over the construction holiday, know that there's also a positive weather update to look forward to in the coming days: you could see the northern lights aka aurora borealis across Quebec — you'll just have to endure warmer-than-usual nighttime temperatures to do so.
According to Environment Canada, "a hot and humid air mass is currently affecting the province of Quebec."
While temperatures for Monday and Tuesday are likely to reach highs of 30 degrees and 31 degrees, respectively, humidex values will make it feel more like 35 degrees and 39 degrees by the afternoons. Nights are looking cooler, but still warm, with lows of 18 degrees or higher.
Naturally, those are the same days that a strong geomagnetic storm (G3 level) is expected to make the northern lights visible throughout the province, and Météo Média is reporting that conditions should be "particularly clear" east of Montreal.
This celestial event will be considerably weaker than the G5 storm that brought an impressive aurora borealis display to the city on May 10 so it may not be worth the trouble of withstanding the heat. However, if you do decide to chase the dancing ribbons of colourful light, Météo Média suggests heading eastward out of the city to get away from any light pollution before getting your eyes accustomed to the darkness.
Despite a brief respite from the heat on Wednesday (one reason to be grateful for rain), ECCC predicts that the intense heat will return on Thursday with humidex values nearing 40 degrees.
"Heat and humidity may also persist through Saturday," ECCC says in its statement. "The feeling of discomfort will be particularly acute in urban areas, where temperatures could reach a few degrees higher."
To protect yourself from the high heat, Quebec's Ministry of Health and Social Services recommends the following:
- Drink at least six glasses of water per day even if you don't feel thirsty (or follow your doctor's instructions as per the amount of fluid you should drink);
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine;
- Spend at least two hours a day in an air conditioned or cool place;
- Take at least one cool shower or bath per day, or cool your skin several times per day with a wet towel;
- Limit physical activity;
- Wear light clothes.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
