Spooky October warm-up breaks 35-year record
Posted Oct 30, 2024 03:00:11 PM.
Last Updated Oct 30, 2024 03:06:27 PM.
Above-normal temperatures in Ottawa this week have resulted in an over-three-decade-old record being broken.
According to data from Environment Canada, temperatures at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport reached 21.4 C as of 2 p.m. on Oct. 30. This unofficially breaks a record of 20.7 C first set in 1989.
Temperatures this month have been well above normals, which usually hover around 10 C for this time of year. The warm stretch is expected to continue for Halloween, expected to be 23 C, but with humidex, it could be as hot as 26.
If temperatures rise it could break a 2003 record of 21.3 C.
Thursday is expected to be a mix of sun and cloud, with a 70 per cent chance of showers that could possibly dampen some trick-or-treater spirits.
It is expected to drop to a more seasonal temperature on Friday with a high of 12 C and a low of 4 C.
The Climate Atlas of Canada is predicting a rise in the number of plus 30 C days in Ottawa over the next 25 years, jumping from 13.5 days (1976-2005) to 31.4 (2021-2050).
It is attributing this change to higher levels of carbon in the atmosphere, resulting in further climate change.