Ottawa reached 30 C in July two times the annual average

Eastern Ontario looks to be getting a bit of a reprieve with seasonal temperatures after extreme heat characterized most of July.

According to data from Environment Canada, temperatures reached or surpassed the 30 C mark 11 times in July. This is well above the annual average of six days.

“The atmospheric pattern favoured a hot, humid air mass to continuously move into southern Ontario,” Weather Specialist Allister Aalders, said. “We had these large areas of high pressure parked well to our south and southeast, and that pumps in a very warm and humid south and southwesterly flow. When you get that moving around a ridge of high pressure, not a lot of rain moving through, you get this very hot, dry, and humid pattern.”

Temperatures peaked on July 16 with a high of 34.2 C. This heat was intensified with stark humidity.

July did nothing but follow the trend set by June. By 4 p.m. on June 23, temperatures reached 35 C, breaking the record of 34.4 C first set in 1921, according to Environment Canada’s almanac.

The weather for the next week is anticipated to be more normal with temperatures peaking in the high 20s.

But that does not mean the scorching summer is over. The Environment Canada weather forecast published in June predicted a particularly hot July and August.

“That being said, early indications right now are showing that September as well will be above seasonal,” Steve Flisfeder, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, told CityNews.

– With files from CityNews Kitchener’s Josh Piercy