The month of August should be warmer than seasonal norms this year in Quebec, according to Environment Canada, after a month of July fairly close to average.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
This is suggested by the latest monthly temperature forecast published by the federal agency. Precipitation should be below seasonal averages, adds Dominic Martel, meteorologist at Environment Canada.
The latter warns, however, that the monthly forecasts are to be taken with precaution, and that this model does not indicate the extent of the gap to come.
These predictions are, however, “consistent with the modeling” of global warming in Canada, observes Professor Blair Feltmate, president of the Intact Center on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo.
ENVIRONMENT CANADA INFOGRAPHIC
Map of forecast temperatures above and below normal
Impact of oppressive heat
“Quebec must prepare now for the oppressive heat that is coming,” he warns. In particular, it is important to ensure that elderly people living alone and the homeless have access to air conditioning and are well hydrated.
People with heart or respiratory health conditions should also be warned “to ensure they are not exposed to extreme heat without the ability to move to a cooler area”.
Heat can be deadly, especially for vulnerable people residing in heat islands. In 2018, dozens of people died due to the heat during a heat wave in Montreal. “The outcome of an extreme heat event is determined during the initial preparation. If the above steps are followed, the impact of oppressive heat can be significantly reduced,” argues Professor Feltmate.
The month of July was a little warmer or close to seasonal norms in most regions of Quebec, says Mr. Martel, of Environment Canada. Montreal and Gaspé, for example, experienced a month warmer than normal by one degree, while Quebec City was right on normal and Saguenay, 0.1 degree cooler. Precipitation was also near normal in the province in July.
Four tornadoes were reported, including one that caused significant damage in Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard on July 23 with winds that reached an estimated speed of 200 km/h. The average for the whole summer being six, this number for the month of July alone suggests an upward trend which could however be explained by better detection, explains Mr. Martel.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
A house razed by the tornado of July 23, in Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard, in the Laurentians
June was cooler than average in southern Quebec, but “abnormally hot” in Nunavik, in the north of the province, according to the Environment Canada summary. Significant precipitation was also observed in the Mont-Joli, Montreal and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean regions.