Some think this may be summer's last gasp. And if it is, 'gasp' could be the perfect word. The GTA sweltered through conditions on Wednesday that were more like mid-July than late August. Temperatures soared to the 33C range, but with the
humidex, it felt more like the 40s. All that hot, sticky air also created another problem - breathing it in.
The
Ministry of the Environment has issued a smog advisory for a wide area of Ontario, including Toronto and its surrounding cities. Air quality is expected to deteriorate as things get hotter, prompting the usual warnings for people with respiratory ailments, the elderly and the very young. (
Check your area's reading here.
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Toronto Public Health estimates at least 1,700 people are admitted to hospital every year because of pollution - and as many as 600 die from complications caused by the bad air.
But pollution won't be the only thing you need to worry about. Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for a wide area of the GTA, including Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Newmarket, Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga, Pickering, Oshawa and Northern Durham and York.
An approaching cold front could produce some extreme weather, including damaging winds, heavy rains and even hail. But that doesn't mean the great deluge is coming. These kinds of hot and steamy conditions can lead to sudden down bursts that are highly localized - but they may not happen at all in your area. A watch only means the conditions are favourable.
The good news is it won't last long. Cottage country is more likely to see the rain than we are and that cold front will clear the air. By Thursday, it will feel a lot more comfortable, with highs touching the 25C mark and a lot less humidity.
And this Labour Day long weekend is shaping up as a near perfect way to say goodbye to summer. All three days are expected to be mostly sunny and warm with highs in the upper 20s and comfortable sleeping temperatures at night.
It's a far cry from last year's weekend washout, when rain fell seemingly non-stop. But if you believe the last unofficial 'end of season' weekend is rarely good, you're wrong. With 2006 aside, our goodbye to summer holiday climate is usual pretty terrific. "Of the [last] 20 years, nine had no rain on any of those days," Environment Canada's Dave Phillips relates. "Only two had rain on every one of those days. And of the 60 days - three days times 20 years - 17 of them had rain. So I think anybody who thinks it's always a damper is wrong."
Check the forecast and current conditions
Read Michael Kuss's blog on the weather