Thunderstorms - cooler weather on tap for Montreal

Day turns to night as a 3000 hectare wildfire burns out of control south of Wendigo Beach in Manitoba on Wednesday. Unseasonably hot weather has fuelled the massive wildfire near Lac Du Bonnet in the eastern part of the province. Some relief is sight as rain and much colder weather arrives late this week. (Photo: Manitoba Hydro)

The warm weather will continue in Montreal for a few more days, with a noticeable increase in humidity levels as we head into Friday. A large upper level low spinning across the northern plain states, will move across the Great Lakes and slowly into Quebec this long Victoria Day holiday weekend.

In advance of the low, a warm southerly fetch of moist air form the Gulf of Mexico will push high temperatures once again into the upper 20s across southern Quebec. On Wednesday, Quebec and New Brunswick were the warmest spots in Canada. Montreal reached 27.4C (82F), the normal high for mid May should be around 20C (68F). Other parts of the region were even warmer, close to 30C. Roberval in central Quebec reached 31C (88F). In New Brunswick, six record highs were established for the date, including 31.8C (89F) at Edmunston.

The warmer more humid air on Friday will lead to the development of widespread afternoon showers and thunderstorms, with some locations receiving as much as 25mm (1 inch) of rain. The moisture will be welcome.

The aforementioned upper level low will result in much colder weather arriving in Montreal by Sunday. After the thunderstorms and warm weather on Friday, Saturday will be a transition day, with rain and windy conditions expected. Highs in the 20s, will drop by Sunday and Monday into the middle teens along with gusty west and northwest winds.

Manitoba Wildfires

The unseasonable heatwave that has been impacting southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan has lead to significant and early start to the wildfire season. The Lac Du Bonnet fire in eastern Manitoba has reached 3000 hectares, one of 24 burning in that province. The fire has resulted in the evacuation of over 1000 residents, destruction of property and sadly two fatalities. The fire has been fuelled by days of record-breaking heat, reaching 37C (100F) at times. Dry weather and strong winds have moved the fires along quickly. Relief is in sight as much colder weather and rain are forecast over the next 48 hours. Unfortunately strong winds are expected as well, gusting up to 80km/h.