Above normal temperatures expected for September

The rain stopped long enough last weekend for thousands of spectators to attend the annual car show in Hawkesbury, Ontario. The weather was perfect with light winds, low humidity, 25C and just a wisp of clouds. The perfect weather resulted in nearly 450 classic cars on display. It was a blessing after a summer where so many outdoor events have been rained out. (Valley Weather Photo)

The weather has been rather mild to start the month of September across southwestern Quebec, with indications that it will remain that way. We are at the start of what is expected to be an historic El Nino event, the warming of the waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Typically this means a very moderate if not warm fall and winter season for Montreal and a large portion of Canada. Looking ahead, we can certainly see signals of milder-than-normal weather well into October for the Montreal region.

Warm high temperatures so far this month have reached the middle 20s. with lows remaining in the middle to upper teens. Warm southwest winds on Thursday have been gusting in excess of 60km/h. The wind managed to keep temperatures up overnight, with a low of 19C (66F) at Trudeau Airport. The normal high and low for early September is 20C (68F) and 10C (50F) respectively. We have not seen that, and shorts and t-shirts remain the clothing of choice.

We have managed some decent rainfall to start the month, with officially 49mm at Trudeau Airport, thanks in part to heavy showers on Wednesday evening that produce close to 30mm in just a few hours. I have recorded 44mm here on Ile Perrot.

High pressure will maintain sunny and mild weather well into the weekend, with the next chance of showers coming late Sunday.

Torrential rain on Labour Day weekend washed away roads, flooded homes and destroyed cars across Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. The storm resulted in one fatality and prompted a state of emergency across the region. Over 200mm of rain fell in juts a few hours. (Province of Nova Scotia)

It has been a very expensive summer for Canadians coast to coast, as storms and fires have resulted in billions of dollars in insured losses. The most recent storms in Toronto and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia have only added to the totals. In the Windsor storm, two tornadoes moving southeast for Michigan resulted in significant widespread damage to trees, cars, homes and businesses. The September 2 storm resulted in at least 1000 calls to public works for tree removal, 600 of those deemed urgent. Many fell onto homes and cars. The Toronto storm on September 1st, severely damaged Rogers Stadium, resulting in the cancelation of the AC/DC concert that was scheduled for September 16.

Last weekend, a torrential rainstorm dumped over 200mm (8 inches) on Sydney and parts of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. Torrents of water washed away roads, damaged homes and resulted in one fatality. The damage from this storm alone will run into the hundreds of millions. With an El Nino fueled fall and winter season forecast, we can expect more of the same, with unusual weather patterns creating the potential for dangerous, damaging storms.