Above seasonal weather expected to stick around for July and August

The high temperatures and humidity the nation’s capital and much of the province are experiencing is expected to stick around, according to one expert.

On Monday, the highs are expected to be 22 C, feeling like 30 with the humidex in Ottawa. This is a slight break from the high heat a few weeks ago that prompted Environment Canada to issue a smattering of warnings across Ontario and broke a record in the city.

“What we’ve been seeing over the past few weeks, and what we expect to see for the next incoming weeks through July, are above seasonal temperatures,” Steve Flisfeder, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said.

This is in line with the forecast the weather agency published in June, he noted. The further out experts look at temperatures, they have less confidence in the forecast.

“That being said, early indications right now are showing that September as well will be above seasonal,” Flisfeder said.

He noted that humidity is harder to predict, so it’s uncertain how much warmer this summer could feel.

“The humidity is dependent on how much moisture is coming into the region,” he said. “Humidity that’s associated will really depend on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis, how systems are interacting with each other.”

A thunderstorm is expected in Ottawa on Monday afternoon, with an expected 10 to 20 millimetres of precipitation in the region. Tuesday is likely to hover around 25 C but it will feel like 30.

Flisfeder said that hot, humid conditions are “conducive” to creating thunderstorms. Mixed with a cold front, it makes a larger likelihood of storms.

“On the flip side, with that cold front, by its name, you can tell that there’s colder air coming in,” he said. “So it doesn’t always sweep out all the heat and all the humidity, but it does bring at least a relative cool down.”

With files from 680 NewsRadio’s Alain Quevillon.