More thunderstorms then a little cooler this week
It has been a very hot summer in eastern Canada. This weekend was no different with high temperatures close to 29C. Today will be warm and humid again, with a high near 31C. Some thunderstorm activity is expected along a cold front on Tuesday before splendid weather moves in for the balance of the week. Temperatures will be in the 24-27C range with low humidity and clear cool nights. Should be great mid-summer weather.
Over the weekend most of the severe weather was confined to Friday afternoon in southwest Quebec. Very heavy thunderstorms produced straight line winds that tumbled a whole bunch of trees and power lines in Mascouche, north of Montreal. In addition heavy rain fell from Valleyfield to the Ontario border with 43mm in less than an hour in St. Anicet, on the St. Lawrence River.

Over the weekend Tropical Strom Franklin wandered the Atlantic waters west of Bermuda, while tropical Strom Gert moved inland near Tampico, Mexico. Both storms are expected to be mostly rain makers and little threat to life or property. Amazing! 7 named storms and it is not even August...What a season!

The picture on above-right is last weeks full moon in Kemptville through distant thunderstorms......

Humidity lowering across North Grenville
A brief respite is in order for heat weary residents in Ontario and Quebec. Temperatures and humidity have been almost unbearable. The combination of warm temperatures and humidity values in the 70 per cent range had humidex values well over 40C yesterday and today. With that type of heat the dewpoints were in the Key West, Florida range!! Very tropical indeed. A weak cold front passage will begin to dry out the air slowly. Temperatures however will remain quite warm. The high tomorrow and Thursday will be around 30C while Friday should be a touch cooler with showers and thunderstorms, around 26C.

Hurricane Emily swept over the resort towns of Cancun and Cozumel and is now heading for the Texas/Mexican border. A hurricane warning is in effect for the south Texas coast. Tropical Storm force winds and high tides have begun and will continue to increase as the evening wears on. Brownsville is in the centre of the target cone for Emily.

Slept well....Finally
A slight drop in humidity and a lowering of dewpoints allowed for a more comfortable sleeping pattern last night. Temperatures will reach around 30C today, but it should feel just a touch better in Ottawa and Montreal. In addition to the lower temperature last night it was quiet. For the first time in three nights thunderstorms did not develop in Kemptville.

The forecast is calling for a return to hot humid and unsettled weather over the weekend. What is left of Dennis will drift across New England on the weekend providing enough lift for some tropical rains. They will be hit and miss thunderstorms in the humid air.

Just a note on lightning safety. It is one of the leading killers in a thunderstorm. Keep in mind that lightning can strike 30 minutes on either side of your storm. Be safe all the time. The best course of action is to remain indoors or in your car. People underestimate just how dangerours it is.

Emily has become a Category four and is threatening Jamaica the Cayman Islands and then Cozumel and Cancun. Afterwards suggestions now indicate she may head for the mouth of the Rio Grande River on the Texas/Mexican border....Many days off stay tuned!

Another Round of Severe Weather
More strong thunderstorms rumbled across the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Valley area overnight. The strongest of the storms moved through Ottawa around 9pm last night. Power outages were reported along with downed trees across the border in Gatineau. One 40 year old man was struck by lightning at Kanata Centrum. He is in serious condition.
When the storms approached the Kemptville area the lightning display was spectacular. At times the sky resembled mid-day. The Kemptville Fire Department was called out to at least one lightning strike east of town. Power was disrupted both in Ottawa and for a very short time in North Grenville. Over 35mm of rain fell with these storms in Kemptville. Temperatures today are just a touch cooler. Thunderstorms are developing this afternoon in a line north of Kingston. Tomorrow dewpoints will lower slightly making it a more comfortable day in Ottawa and Montreal, but more heat and humidity is on the way for the weekend and well into next week.

In tropical news, Emily has passed over the tiny island of Grenada and is moving towards the Yucatan, Mexico. She is now a Category 2 Storm. On this projected path, she may bypass the US all together. These storms are very fickle, and the slightest wobble could change that.

Thunderstorms break the Heat...A little

Heavy thunderstorms broke the heat across Eastern Ontario overnight. These rare nocturnal storms produced brief heavy rains. The most interesting aspect of the storms which began shortly after midnight and continued until around noon today, on and off, was the intense cloud to ground lightning and their duration. The strikes played havoc with electrical equipment but no major outages seem to have occurred.
The cloud cover and brief rain has kept the temperatures down today in the mid 20's but they are beginning to warm up as the clouds have cleared this afternoon. We remain under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning across Grenville County and area. More storms should flare up in the tropical airmass this afternoon. The photo below shows a dissipating storms to the east of Kemptville this morning.