Toronto's unseasonably balmy weather has resulted in another temperature record, the second in two days.
The mercury hit 14.08 C by noon, easily surpassing the previous record of 11.7 C set on Jan. 8, 1965, CTV Toronto's Tom Brown reported.
On Monday, the weather hit 14 C in Toronto, shattering the previous record of 6.5 C set in 1998, according to Environment Canada.
The record daily high for January is 17.6 C, set on Jan. 13, 2005. The average is -1.8 C.
The warm spell has been melting snow banks around Toronto. Heavy rain forecast for Tuesday means roads and lawns will become even wetter.
The temperature is expected to stay a few degrees above the freezing mark for the next few days, and then return to the normal by the weekend, forecasters said.
A January thaw has happened every year in Toronto except 1977, but it doesn't usually arrive until later in the month, said Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips.
The spring-like temperatures had residents outdoors enjoying the weather, and doing chores around the house such as raking leaves and taking down Christmas decorations in a T-shirt.
"It's pretty wonderful. I'm not going to complain about the weather," said one man out for a walk.
"I love it," added another man, dressed in a business suit. "It's nice and warm and great for a quick stroll before work."
But one activist expressed concern about the mild temperatures and its connection to climate change.
"We should be worried about this," said Franz Hartman, of the Toronto Environmental Alliance. "We can enjoy today, but we should be thinking about what can we do to make sure that these sort of warm Januaries don't become a thing of the future."
With a report from CTV Toronto's MairiAnna Bachynsky
