Toronto’s extreme heat alert extended into Wednesday with temperatures expected to hover around 30 C.
However, the heat won’t compare to the temperatures the city saw Tuesday, when a 36.8 C high broke the previous July 17 heat record of 35.2 C set in 2011.
Factoring in the high humidity, Tuesday’s temperatures felt more like a sweltering 45 C.
According to Environment Canada, July 17 heat records were shattered throughout Ontario, with the mercury hitting 37.8 C in Windsor.
Tuesday’s extreme heat alert marked the city’s eighth of the year.
To help keep Torontonians cool, a number of cooling centres will remain open Wednesday:
- Metro Hall – 55 John St. (Open 24 hours)
- East York Civic Centre – 850 Coxwell Ave. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
- North York Civic Centre – 5100 Yonge St. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
- Driftwood Community Centre – 4401 Jane St. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
- Etobicoke Olympium – 590 Rathburn Rd. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
- McGregor Community Centre – 2231 Lawrence Ave. East (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
- Centennial Park Community Centre – 1967 Ellesmere Rd. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Water and snacks will be made available at the seven cooling centres. Some of Toronto’s public pools will also remain open until 11:45 p.m.
Environment Canada is forecasting sunny skies throughout Wednesday in Toronto, but the agency warned that isolated thunderstorms are expected through southwestern Ontario with the risk of a severe thunderstorm close to Lake Erie.
Temperatures will hover between the high 20s and low 30s for much of the week with a 30 per cent chance of rain forecasted for Sunday.
