Elevated risk for strong thunderstorms for Montreal

Storm damage from a potential tornado in Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard Saturday afternoon. The strong thunderstorm moved across the Ottawa Valley and into the lower Laurentians during the late afternoon. (Photo via Twitter @QuebecVortex)

Heat warning in effect for southern Quebec.

The heat and humidity continue across southern Quebec on Sunday, with temperatures expected to climb to 30C (86F) once again. Humidex temperatures will feel like 35 to 40C before the clouds arrive. The weather never really cooled down overnight, remaining warm and muggy, with lows only around 23C (73F). We reached 31C (88F) on Saturday, before clouds and isolated storms arrived. Most of the severe weather remained well north of Montreal moving across the Laurentians into the Quebec City region. As with Friday afternoons storms, damage and power outages were reported.

Hail fell in and around Ottawa. A tornado may have touched down in Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard in the late afternoon, with numerous trees down and serious damage reported to several cottages. Environment Canada will investigate to determine if it was a tornado. Thankfully no injuries were reported during this busy vacation period.

This brings us to Sunday and the renewed threat for severe weather. Clouds will increase today ahead of a cold front. Pre-frontal showers and thunderstorms are expected by mid-afternoon, some severe. The threat initially will be for strong winds and hail. However as we head into the evening hours, heavy rain and the risk for flash flooding will take over. The front is expected to move slowly, only clearing the region by Monday morning. Storms may be slow moving, with the threat for prolonged heavy rain in any one area. A good 25mm (1 inch) is expected in Montreal, but more may fall where storms occur.

If you have any outdoor plans today, pay close attention to the weather and listen for a weather watch or warning that may be issued.

Skies will be partly cloudy Monday, with yet another chance for isolated showers and thunderstorms. The weather will final calm down for Tuesday, with sunny skies, lower humidity, and a high of 26C (79F).

Temperatures soar on both sides of the Atlantic as the UK records warmest day ever

Searing heat has created ideal conditions for raging wildfires in many parts of Spain, England and France. On Tuesday, the London Fire Brigade had its busiest day since World War II, responding to over 2600 calls. Meanwhile in the Gironde Region of southwestern France (shown above), fires forced thousands of residents to flee as firefighters worked around the clock to try and control the rapidly spreading wildfires and save as many homes as possible. Photo courtesy SDIS 33 Firefighters 

Heat Warning posted for metro Montreal, southern Quebec, eastern Ontario, northern New York and Vermont.

These truly are the dog days of summer as heat and humidity stretch across the United States and into central and eastern Canada. On Tuesday, highs reached into the low 30s across many regions of southern Ontario and Quebec, officially just shy of 30C at Trudeau Airport. When you factor in the humidity, temperatures felt closer to 40C. More of the same weather can be expected on Wednesday, before a strong cold front produces thunderstorms on Thursday. A heat warning remains in affect for a large portion of the region including all of southern Ontario and Quebec as well as portions of upstate New York and New England. Highs on Wednesday will reach into the 30s for many of us.

The heat is surging across the southern and central US, putting a strain on the power grid and dwindling water supplies. Temperatures were in the middle 40s across Texas and Oklahoma on Tuesday, with upper 30s across Louisiana and across the deep south. The heat is spreading north into the Middle Atlantic and Northeast. 

European Heatwave

Meanwhile the heat has broken slightly in the United Kingdom after they recorded the warmest temperature on record Tuesday. The high reached 40.3C (104.5F) in several locations, surpassing the previous high of 38.7C set only in 2019. London's Heathrow Airport reached 40C, just one of several communities that broke the record. The dry, hot weather generated numerous grass fires that destroyed dozens of homes. The London Fire Brigade had its busiest day since World War II, responding to over 2600 calls for service. The department averages 300 to 500 calls per day under normal conditions. Hundreds of dwellings were destroyed.

The heat also surged across Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. Temperatures were as warm as 45C. Fires are raging across France, especially in the hard-hit Gironde Region, where thousands have been forced to evacuate.

Thousands have died due to heat related illnesses. Only 1 percent of the population in the UK has access to air conditioning. Weather conditions such as those experienced over the last few days are extremely rare in England and the UK. Temperatures are expected to cool down to more normal levels, with highs in the upper 20s Wednesday and lower 20s for the balance of the week. Much needed rain is forecast as well.

Much needed rain followed by more heat and humidity

Large crowds turned out for the annual car show held Sunday at Point-du-Moulin Historical Park on Île Perrot. The weather was perfect along the Lac-St-Louis shoreline, with a nice breeze providing relief from the 30C heat and humidity. (ValleyWeather Photo)

Some much needed rain is moving along the 401 Monday morning and should arrive in Montreal by mid-afternoon. A warm front will lift across the region today, accompanied by some tropical rains. parts of southern Ontario received as much as 70mm overnight, so the system has a history of moderate precipitation. As of 10am this morning, heavy rainfall warnings have been issued for the St Lawrence Valley of Ontario from Kingston to the Quebec border. Expect 25-50mm of rain for those locations and perhaps up to 25mm in Montreal.

The warm front will lift north of Montreal overnight, with more showers and perhaps a thunderstorm possible. The showers will taper off early Tuesday leaving us well established in the warm sector. Expect a very warm, breezy day, with high humidity values. The high will be 28C (83F) Tuesday and up to 31C (88F) Wednesday. Humidex values will rise into the upper 30s, the weather will definitely feel oppressive at times.

More showers and thunderstorms are forecast Wednesday night into Thursday, before skies clear out and humidity levels drop somewhat.

We do need the rain in Montreal, as July has been rather dry to date. Only 18.4mm of rain has fallen through the first half of the month, most of that in a few hours on July 12.

The weekend weather in Montreal was absolutely spectacular, with sunshine and warm temperatures. We surpassed 30C (30.6C) on Sunday at Trudeau Airport, the first such reading this July. Other locations around southern Quebec were even warmer, with 31.3 (89F) at Saint-Anicet and 32.2C (90F) on Ile Perrot.

Speaking of heat, the central portion of the US has been baking this July, and that heat moved into southern Saskatchewan on Sunday. Val-Marie reached 39.2C (102.5F). The heat is moving east into Manitoba and northwest Ontario Monday.

European Heatwave

North America is nor the only place recording searing heat, an unprecedented heatwave is impacting portions of western Europe. Spain, Portugal, France and England have all been experiencing record-breaking heat. Lousa in central Portugal hit 46.3C (115F) last Wednesday. The heat has lasted nearly a week, with the death toll rising over to over one thousand across Europe. Numerous forest fires are burning as well in the hot, dry weather. Italy has declared a state of emergency across most of the northern region. Water use is being limited to food preparation, domestic use and healthcare. Parts of the U.K. are expecting their warmest days in history on Monday and Tuesday.

Hot and humid weather returns to Montreal this weekend

Tuesday afternoons strong thunderstorms produced brief heavy rain in Montreal, but most of the severe weather and damage occurred south of the city. The photo above was taken as the storms moved through Saint-Laurent around 2pm. (ValleyWeather Photo)

Typical July weather can be expected during the upcoming weekend in Montreal, as a southwesterly flow of warm, moist air develops over southern Quebec. This will pull in some of the heat that has been building across the central portion of the United States since the start of the month.

Before then, an upper air disturbance will move across the St. Lawrence Valley Thursday, accompanied by some pop-up showers and isolated thunderstorms. We are not expecting any severe weather, with the only threat being some heavier but brief downpours. The day will be a touch muggy, with highs around 24C (76F). On Friday, skies should clear, setting the stage for a rather warm weekend. Expect mostly sunny skies Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with highs ranging from 27C (81F) Friday up to and over 30C (86F) over the weekend. Overnight lows will be very warm through next week, ranging from 19 to 22C (66-72F). We are expecting the warm and humid weather to persist into the early part of next week at the very least along with an increase in thunderstorm activity.

The strong thunderstorms that impacted southern Quebec on Tuesday afternoon largely missed the island of Montreal once again. We had some gusty winds and brief heavy rain, but the bulk of the severe weather occurred southeast of Montreal across the South Shore and Eastern Townships. There were reports of tress and power-lines toppled near Saint-Jude, as well as Hatley and Lac-Brome. A portion of Highway 143 was closed after being blocked by fallen trees and power poles. 

Speaking of severe weather, the Northern Tornadoes Project out of Western University has confirmed the first tornado of the year in Quebec, near Val-des-Lacs on July 1st. The storm was estimated to be an EF-1, with maximum winds at 145km/h. They also observed microburst damage near Riviere-Rouge, Quebec. No injuries were reported, but there was widespread tree damage observed.

Thursday marks the 35th anniversary of the Decarie Expressway flood. A series of very strong thunderstorms crossed the city of Montreal on July 14, 1987, dumping over 100mm of rain in less than 90 minutes. You can read the entire story HERE. 

Another stretch of perfect summer weather for Montreal

One good thing about having a pup that loves to get up at the crack of dawn, is I get to see the sun rise during the summer months. This week has been spectacular, with warm sunny days, and cool nights. (ValleyWeather Photo)

High pressure will dominate the weather across southern Quebec into early next week. The only exception will be this evening, as a weak frontal boundary crosses the region. There may be an isolated shower or sprinkle around, scattered clouds and a wind shift but little else. Most regions will remain dry. On Friday, sunshine returns, with light winds and low humidity.

The weekend at this time looks spectacular, with wall to wall sunshine, cool nights and seasonably warm days. Temperatures in Montreal will range through the middle 20s (70s F) for daytime highs, with overnight lows in the low to middle teens. Ile Perrot dropped to 14C (56F) Thursday morning, close to the normal low of 15C (59F).

The hot and humid weather will remain across the central and southeast portion of the US where temperatures are in the high 30s and humidex readings into the 40s. Some of that warm weather may begin to shift northward next week, along with the risk of showers and thunderstorms by Tuesday. Until then enjoy the near-prefect summer weather.

June ended on a very wet note across southern Quebec, with many locations reporting well-above normal rainfall. Montreal recorded it's second wettest June, with 169mm of rain falling at Trudeau Airport. That amount placed June 2022 a distant second to the 215mm that fell in June 1943. I measured  175.1mm here on Ile Perrot, including 85.4mm over just 48 hours on June 22 and 23.

Arctic Heatwave

The hot weather in Canada s far this month has been occurring in an unusual location, across the far north. Portions of  both the Yukon and Nunavut have been under heat warnings. Temperatures have risen into the high 20s and low 30s. Inuvik, located at 68.3N a full 200 km within the Arctic Circle, rose over 30C on three consecutive days for the first time since weather records have been kept. That dates back to 1957. The high on July 2 was 30.6C, July 3, 30.7C and July 4, a scorching 31.8C (89F). The high today is expected to reach 31C, with the heatwave lasting into early next week.