Ontario is set to see a sweltering summer according to a seasonal forecast just released by the national weather agency.
Environment and Climate Change Canada presented its summer outlook on Tuesday.
The national weather agency is expecting “higher-than-normal temperatures” in Ontario this summer until at least the end of August.
The national weather agency presented a map of the projected forecast, produced on June 16, with a deep red colour covering the province, indicating that above normal temperatures will dominate the region.
The rest of the country, including Quebec, British Columbia, and Atlantic Canada, will also see hotter than normal summer temperatures.
“Potential consequences of this seasonal forecast include wildfires that may exceed local management capacity,” Nathan Gillett, a research scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, said on Tuesday.
He also listed evacuations due to fire, poor air quality from smoke, and heat waves that create health risks, as potential outcomes.
The agency’s meteorologist Armel Castellan said climate change is increasing the risk, frequency and duration of these intense weather events.
There's been three times as many wildfires reported in 2023 compared to the same period last year.
As for precipitation, Gillett said it’s going to come down to taking a look at the forecast from a shorter time period. “There is no signal to really hang your hat on,” he explained.
The first official day of summer is Wednesday.
