Warm December weather breaks records in Toronto area

Last month was the warmest December on record in Toronto, according to data from Environment Canada.

The weather agency issued the numbers on Friday, calling the month "scorching. Balmy. Or just plain mild. However you want to describe it, 2015 ended on an extraordinarily mild note."

Environment Canada said the City of Toronto broke records spanning 175 years, with the warmest December on record since 1840.

"December 2015 handily melted the previous Toronto record set in 2001 by about 2 full degrees," the statement said, referring to the monthly average temperature of 5.1 C.

The temperature is a full 6 C higher than the seasonal norm for December, Environment Canada said.

Similar records were set across the province, from Windsor to Pickle Lake.

Here's a breakdown of the communities that broke records in December:

• Windsor: New record of 4.7 C, up from 3.1 C in 2006
• Hamilton: New record of 3.7 C, up from 1.6 in 2006
• Welland: New record of 4.6 C, up from 2.9 in 2006
• St. Catharines: New record of 5.0 C, up from 3.3 in 2006
• Toronto Pearson Airport: New record of 4.1 C, up from 1.9 in 2006
• Wiarton: New record of 3.1 C, up from 1.1 in 2006
• Trenton: New record of 3.9 C, up from 1.5 in 2006
• Ottawa: New record of 1.2 C, up from -1.4 in 2001
• Sudbury: New record of -1.3 C, up from -3.7 in 2001
• Sault Ste. Marie: New record of 0.5 C, up from -1.2 in 1994 and 2001
• Timmins: New record of -4.4 C, up from -5.8 in 1994
• Kapuskasking: New record of -5.4 C, up from -6.6 in 1994
• Geraldton: New record of -7.1 C, up from -7.9 in 2006
• Thunder Bay: New record -3.4 C, up from -5.1 in 2001
• Sioux Lookout: New record of -7.9 C, up from -8.1 in 1939
• Pickle Lake: New record of -9.8 C, up from -10.7 in 2001