Record high for Montreal - extreme fire danger across southern Quebec

Sunday was a spectacular day in the Montreal region, with nothing but sunshine and a record high of 31.2C at Trudeau Airport. Unfortunaelty the weather is dangerously dry and breezy, perfect for outdoor fires to spread quickly is they occur. An outdoor fire ban is in effect. 

Hot, dry and breezy weather expected this week for southern Quebec.

Sunday was the warmest day of the year to date, and a record for May 28 dating back to 1978. The high was a scorching 31.2C (88F), surpassing the 1978 record of 31C. A weak backdoor cold front moved across the St. Lawrence Valley late last night, with very little fanfare. A few clouds accompanied the front, along with a wind shift to the northeast and slightly cooler air. Monday will be another sunny and warm day, albeit a touch cooler, with a high of 25C (77F). This will be the "coolest" weather for the upcoming week. We will likely observe our first 32C (90F) high of the season this week here in Montreal.

The balance of the work week will feature strong high pressure moving slowly across eastern North America. The result will be increasing warmth, along with very dry and breezy conditions. Temperatures will be in the upper 20s to low 30s across a large portion of southern Quebec. No rain is expected before late Friday and even then, significant amounts are not expected. It has been a very dry month in Montreal, with only 43.6mm of rain recorded at Trudeau Airport.

The fire risk is quite high across most of Quebec and into Atlantic Canada. The risk in the Montreal region is extreme, and an outdoor burn ban is in effect according to SOPFEU. The agency is advising against any type of outdoor fires, including campfires. You are also reminded to be extremely vigilant with the disposal of lit cigarettes. To date the agency has battled 176 fires in the province that have burned more than 300 hectares (740 acres). There are currently 11 active fires burning in Quebec.

Thousands of residents evacuate the suburbs northwest of Halifax on Sunday afternoon, while firefighters race to control the fast-moving flames. (CBC)

The dry, windy weather is also affecting eastern Ontario and Atlantic Canada. On Sunday, a fast moving wildfire forced the evacuation of over 18,000 residents in several suburbs northwest of Halifax. The fire destroyed numerous homes and dwellings, and continues to burn out of control on Monday morning. A state of emergency is currently in effect across the Halifax Regional Municipality.

Humidity levels will begin to rise midweek, which will help to lower the extreme fire risk here in the Montreal region.