Warm & windy Monday

In stark contrast to most of this past weekend, we are expecting warm temperatures today, approaching 21C (70F) in both the Champlain and St. Lawrence Valley. Over the weekend the mercury struggled to clear 10C as we had a decent freeze Saturday morning, and low clouds, fog and rain most of Sunday. A warm front has lifted north of Montreal this morning, with temperatures on the rise on southeast winds. We are sitting at 12C, the warmest it has been since late Thursday. Increasing south winds will help temperatures to rise under partly cloudy skies. Clouds will thicken again later this afternoon in advance of a cold front moving from Ontario into Quebec. Showers will accompany the front along with dropping temperatures down to about 7C (45F). We will warm very little on Tuesday to 10C (50F) under partly cloudy skies. Winds will be another issue today becoming gusty out of the southwest over 50km/h with gusts to 70km/h possible in the St. Lawrence Valley. Those winds will diminish this evening as they back out of the northwest 20-40km/h. Rainfall will be light today adding to the 20mm that fell over the weekend.

A NOAA image of Tropical Storm Rafael north of Puerto Rico this morning.

Tropical Storm Rafael
Tropical storm Rafael formed over the weekend and has been giving rain to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The storm has 70 mph winds this morning and is located about 290 miles north of San Juan. Forecasters have issued a tropical storm warning for Bermuda and are expecting Rafael to become a category 1 hurricane later today.  Rafael is generating high surf and big waves in the Bahamas as he moves north northwest at 10mph. Looking ahead to the middle of the week, the likelihood is increasing that Rafael will have some sort of impact on Newfoundland. The storm could approach the Avalon as a post tropical storm with gusty winds and heavy rain by Wednesday. The Canadian Hurricane Centre is already tracking the storm and releasing statements on it. Warnings may be needed as the path of Rafael become more clear late today and Tuesday.