Torontonians felt the heat Thursday as the temperature rose to 31C, beating the record 30.5C set on May 24 1991.
Toronto Public Health issued a heat alert Thursday morning, saying more severe, long-lasting high temperatures could increase the number of weather-related deaths.
A smog advisory issued Tuesday for much of southern and central Ontario was carried over Thursday as temperatures in the whole area hovered around the 30C mark.
The warning was issued by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. It urges residents, especially those with respiratory problems, to refrain from heavy outdoor activity.
This is the area's fifth smog advisory of 2007 and the first heat alert of the year, arriving five days earlier than it did last May.
Residents are urged to:
- Take public transit or carpool
- Refrain from using gas-powered motors, aerosol sprays and solvents
The air quality index is expected to exceed the "poor" mark of 50 due to ground level ozone and fine particulate matter, the government said.
Pollutants from sources in the U.S. and Ontario accumulate and react with sunlight to form photochemical smog.
Heavy outdoor activities may cause respiratory symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath. Residents with heart or lung disease including asthma may experience a worsening of their condition.
A cold front is expected to move in and bring scattered precipitation and cooler temperatures for Friday. The forecast is expected to be in the low 20s.
The Ontario government reports on the Air Quality Index every hour of each day, year-round. While smog can occur at any time of the year, it forms most frequently during the summer months.
Amid the smog warnings, enforcement officers in Toronto are cracking down this week on motorists who unnecessarily idle their vehicles. Twelve officers will be out handing $125 tickets to those who idle for more than three minutes.
The city issued 66 tickets last year.
The anti-idling bylaw does not apply when temperatures pass 27C or drop below 5C.
