It will be hot, very hot, in several regions of Quebec this Wednesday. In Montreal, the temperature felt should rise to 37. Rest assured, however: this burst of spring heat should quickly subside towards the end of the week.
“In general, we can already see that it is a warmer spring than normal. In May, the normal maximum for the entire month is 18.9 degrees for the Montreal region. There, tomorrow, we’re going to be at 30 degrees, and it goes up to 37 with the humidex. It’s definitely warmer,” explains Environment Canada meteorologist Nicholas Elder.
However, the fact remains that the day of May 22 will not be marked by a record. The latter actually dates from 1977, when some 32.6 degrees were recorded on the thermometer, without taking into account the humidex, in the Montreal region.
Several other cities will also be affected by this heat which has been increasing since the start of the week already. In Quebec, for example, 26 degrees are forecast this Wednesday, a temperature which rises to 33 if we take into account the humidex factor. The cities of Trois-Rivières, Gatineau and Sherbrooke, to name a few, will oscillate between 30 and 36 depending on the feeling.
“Almost the entire southern part of the province is really under a warm and humid air mass. Almost no one is an exception,” Mr. Elder notes on this subject.
A risk of violent thunderstorms
Fortunately, he adds, “all this heat is not going to last longer than a day.” As of Thursday, Environment Canada predicts that the mercury will drop slightly due to a cold front. On Thursday and Friday, the temperature will return to around 25 degrees maximum. This decline will be reflected in most other regions at the same time.
“It is certain that it will bring showers and the risk of thunderstorms in several areas at first, but afterwards, we will return to lower temperatures, with good weather. It will still be a little warmer than normal, but much more pleasant,” continues the meteorologist.
In the afternoon of Tuesday, Environment Canada also warned that “conditions are conducive to the formation of dangerous thunderstorms that could produce very strong gusts, large hail and heavy rain.”
“Very strong gusts can damage buildings, uproot trees and sweep large vehicles off the road. Nautical activities could prove dangerous due to violent and sudden gusts that blow across bodies of water,” the federal agency persisted, recalling that “lightning kills and injures Canadians every year.”
“When thunder rumbles, go inside quickly,” she advises in passing. The organization also recommends that citizens, especially the oldest and most vulnerable, stay hydrated and provide moments of respite in the shade during periods of extreme heat, or even reduce physical exertion.
In the short term, “we are not expecting another heat surge in Quebec,” concludes Mr. Elder, adding however that it is not impossible that this will happen again in the coming weeks, particularly as the start approaches. of the summer season.