Severe Thunderstorm Watch

A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for southern Quebec including Montreal until 9pm this evening. A slow moving frontal boundary combined with warm, humid and unstable air, is the focus for heavy storms this afternoon. Most of these storm cells are moving very slowly and producing heavy rain in a short period of time. Several storms are affecting the region between Valleyfield and Morrisburg, Ontario at this hour with up to 50mm of rain possible. Warnings have been issued by Environment Canada for this area. These particular cells are drifting slowly northwest and should not affect the metro region. Others are developing over the central portion of the island and south towards the US border.

Storms are also occurring south of the border in New York and Vermont. One cell produced 1.32 inches of rain in 30 minutes in Saranac Lake. A flood advisory has been posted by he National Weather Service for Franklin, Clinton, Essex and St. Lawrence Counties.

Parade of storms

National Hurricane Center

Our weather will be spectacular today across southern Quebec. If you have outdoor activities, today is your day. Sunshine and warm with high temperatures around 29C. The same applies for eastern Ontario and northern Vermont and New York. A cold front will move across the St. Lawrence Valley late overnight and Sunday with showers, thunderstorms and cooler weather.

Parade of storms: The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on newly formed tropical storm Franklin northwest of Bermuda and moving away from any land. While Franklin is not a concern, the three potential areas on the map above could be. We will have a busy week ahead and I imagine a busy remainder of August and into September as we approach the peak part of the hurricane season in what looks to be an active year.

Weekend Update

It was a coll start to the morning across the area today with temperatures in the 10 to 15C range across the province. This would make it one of the coolest mornings since May. Under bright sunshine the temperature will recover to 26C today and a warm 30C on Saturday under sunshine. A frontal boundary will return the threat for showers to southern Quebec, Ontario and northern New England by Sunday.

Just how hot a summer has it been this summer? Well here in Montreal, we reached 30C (86F) or better on 9 of 31 days in July. We had 21 of 31 days over 27C (81F) and a record high of nearly 35.7C, the warmest since the heatwave of 1975. Well how about Windsor, Ontario, they recorded the warmest monthly average ever in Canada at 25.8C, by comparison we were an equally warm 23.1C. South of the border the numbers are impressive. Texas has been melting under intense heat and drought for the entire summer. Dallas yesterday ended its streak of consecutive days of 100F or better at 40, just shy of the 1980 record of 42 days. Waco broke its record at 43 days off 100 plus temperatures and Wichita Falls 42 days, both set during the summer of 1980.

More storms

Was severe weather and lightning or arson responsible for yesterday's fire at the old Motel Raphael in Montreal? Police are investigating.
(The Gazette)

Flooding in Montreal last evening. (CBC.ca)

A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect in Montreal and southern Quebec until 11pm this evening. It caps off what has been a very active 24 hours in and around the region. It started last night with more rain in 3 hours than we had the entire month of July. I measured 71mm overnight at my home, 66mm of that falling in a 3 hour span. I am quite confident of its accuracy with the gauge in the middle of my yard, and bone dry at 6pm. I will add a second gauge to my property for the next time, but radar does support that amount. The cells moved right over my location about 25km southwest of the airport.

That is nearly double what the airport measured at 37.2mm. That was a record for Montreal for the date, the previous being 32mm set in 1959. Keep in mind that was a 24 hour record, this fell in just a few hours. Closer to my location St Anne-de-Bellevue recorded 51mm. The heavy rain produced major flooding in some sectors of the city. Thankfully our sewer system here on Ile Perrot is awesome and handled the torrential downpour. Last month Montreal had only 59.2mm, much less away from the airport, and 93.8mm for June. Officially so far in August we have measured over 90mm.

More storms flared up this afternoon with fierce lightning, hail and gusty winds. Power was out in many areas and another 10-15mm of rain fell. Just after the storm started a major fire erupted at the old Motel Raphael in the Montreal borough of NDG. The landmark building famous for room rentals by the hour since the 1960's, had been abandoned since 2009. It is not clear if lightning started the fire, but investigators are on scene tonight.

From drought to flood

Flooding along Lakeshore Drive in Toronto today. (CTV.ca)

Low pressure over Ontario is spinning its way east this evening into southern Quebec. Warm and humid air in place is providing the fuel for very heavy rain. Radar at 8pm is showing rain with embedded thunderstorms moving over northern New York State and the St. Lawrence Valley of Ontario and lifting north into southern Quebec. A special weather statement has been issued from both the National Weather Service and Environment Canada for 1 to 2 inches (25-50mm) of rain locally overnight. The rain will be very heavy at times in thunderstorms. The same system produced flooding in portions of Ontario today including the GTA and points east towards Belleville and Kingston. The threat for showers and storms will persist into Wednesday.

Cooler weather

It was another spectacular day on Monday in what has become a spectacular summer. Sunshine pushed the mercury above the forecast high again to 28C in Montreal. Today will be the last in this current string of awesome days with sunshine through increasing clouds and a high of 27C. Tonight showers will develop as weak low pressure and a cold front move from Ontario across Quebec. Wednesday will be noticeably cooler with showers and thunderstorms and a forecast high of 21C. Skies will clear by Thursday and the first half of the weekend at this time looks good, the second half not so good.

**I spoke briefly the other day on the cooler nights and fog as August moves along and September beckons. Last night when I went to bed it was a summery 23C at 11pm. Just 5 hours later Ile Perrot was 16C. That is a drop from 73F to 61F in just 6 hours (more dramatic in Fahrenheit), that my friends is radiational cooling at its best under clear skies and with light winds. That is very fall like for sure, just saying!

Sunshine returns

Deep hail in southeast Saskatchewan after major storms hit the region this weekend. (The Weather Network)

While searing heat continues to affect the southern plains and southeast US, a little bit of Autumn is working its way into western Canada. In between humid and unstable air has produced impressive thunderstorms. After a nearly bone dry month of July in my little corner of the province, I measured over 30mm of rain this weekend in thunderstorms. Numerous reports of damage came in from all over the province including Canada's 7th tornado this season, an F-1, with winds up to 150km/h, confirmed in the tiny municipality of Saint-Ludger-de-Milot, 100 kilometres northeast of Chicoutimi. The storm uprooted trees and damaged houses cutting power to over 1600 homes. Storms in Quebec this weekend produced flash flooding southeast of the city where nearly 100mm of rain fell. There were also reports of downed trees and power poles. Meanwhile out west southern Saskatchewan and Alberta were hammered by deadly storms that produced ankle deep hail, strong winds, heavy rain and at least one tornado. Two deaths have been blamed on the storms, one in Saskatchewan and one in Alberta. The hail, reported to be as large as golf balls in places, caused considerable damage to crops with claims nearly doubling in one week. The air is a little more stable this week so look for sunny skies and little threat for severe weather.

Meanwhile back here in Montreal high pressure will give us a sunny and warm Monday and Tuesday before another frontal boundary returns showers and thunderstorms to the region by Wednesday. Temperatures will be near normal, around 27C (81F) most of the week.

More storms today

I measured 20mm of rain here on Ile Perrot last night as a thunderstorm crossed the area around 10pm. Only 2mm fell at the airport. The rain was very welcome in my neighbourhood where all the lawns had become a crisp yellow. This morning we are already at a very humid 24C (76F) with the ever present risk of showers and thunderstorms all day as a weak front lies to our northwest. Humidex values will be well into the 30's today making it feel uncomfortable. Some of the storms this afternoon may be on the strong side with heavy rain being the main threat. Radar this morning is showing a line of storms well to the north of Montreal across the northern Laurentians along with several isolated cells in eastern Ontario. They may pop up in the metro region at anytime today.

Thunderstorms

Radar image from myweather.com continues to show a decent storm cell moving across Ile Perrot from south to north. Steady and much needed rain has fallen over the last half hour, more I believe than we saw the entire month of July at my home.

A weak frontal boundary and a rather warm (30C) and humid day have triggered a few thunderstorms this evening over extreme southwest Quebec. One cell, that had a warning on it that has since expired, is moving into the Dorion/Ile Perrot region at this hour. There are gusty winds, lots of lightning and some decent rain with this storm. It is moving oddly from south to north and will move onto the West Island of Montreal and Laval in the next hour. More showers and storms are possible overnight an into Sunday as the air mass remains moist and unstable.

Weekend Update

We have low clouds and fog again this morning, further indication we have entered the month of August. The nights are just a little longer and the dew points a little higher and we end up with fog. A marine layer of air has been hugging the St. Lawrence Vally both yesterday and today. It took until noon for it to lift yesterday but then temperatures responded quickly to 26C. We will have sunshine and warmer temperatures again today, once the fog burns off, look for highs around 29C. The weekend will be unsettled with showers and thunderstorms and temperatures from 22 to 28C. It will not be a wash out, as the system will pass to our south, but higher humidity will result in the risk of showers all weekend.

Tropical Storm Emily weakened yesterday to a low pressure system near Haiti. The storm is still meandering around the eastern tip of Cuba this morning (see 1 in image). Forecasters say the storm has a 60% chance of redevelopment over the next 24 hours as she moves northwest towards the Bahamas. All warnings are down as of this point. All interests along the southeast US coast should continue to monitor the system. At the very least high surf, rip currents and perhaps some showers may affect the Outer Banks by late Sunday.

Typical August weather

Flash flooding yesterday in Puerto Rico from TS Emily. (weather.com)

It looks like we are going to settle into a typical August pattern for the next few days. The nights have turned noticeably cooler and the days are staying around 27C. We have clouds this morning as a northeast breeze is producing a maritime layer of air over the St. Lawrence Valley. Temperatures are cooler at 19C. The sunshine has broken out in Ontario and across the Ottawa Valley, so I expect skies to clear here before noon. Friday will be spectacular, before an unsettled weekend with showers Saturday at 29C and Sunday at 23C.

Tropical Storm Emily is located about 40 miles south southwest of Isla Beata, Dominican Republic at 8am. The storm is slowly expected to drift northwest across Haiti today. The main threat remains very heavy rain with 6-12 inches forecast and as much as 20 inches. With 600,000 people still living outdoors after the January 2010 quake, this could be critical with flash floods and mudslides possible. Yesterday Puerto Rico reported flash flooding along many roadways and villages. The storm remains a threat to the Bahamas and perhaps the southeast US this weekend. Emily has 50 mph winds and will weaken slightly today while interacting with Haiti. She is expected to slowly gain strength into the weekend and could reach hurricane strength by Sunday off the Carolina's. There remains lost of uncertainty in the forecast, check the link on the left often for the latest updates from the NHC.

Tranquil weather

Another awesome sunset in Montreal. ValleyWX Pic

There are parts of the country not having very good weather today, but southern Quebec is not one of them. Our spectacular summer moves along with another partly cloudy and dry day with seasonable temperatures around 26C. Into the late week and weekend, heat and humidity will build again with the threat for some showers or thunderstorms by the weekend.

Meanwhile portions of Atlantic Canada will see 25-50mm of rain today from thunderstorms especially Nova Scotia. Looking south it remains sultry from the southwest across Texas and into the southeast and middle Atlantic. More triple digit highs are expected today. Last month over 2500 record highs were broken across the US with even more in Canada including Montreal's 35.6C one of the warmest days ever in this city. It looks like the heat will prevail into August.

A quick update on Tropical Storm Emily. The storm is located about 145 miles from Santo Domingo. Warnings are out for the region with heavy rain being the main threat. Over 10 inches could fall in the Dominican and Haiti. Afterwards the system is expected to reorganize and take a run at the Bahamas before moving offshore of the southeast US coast. There is still a possibility of the storm becoming a hurricane over the weekend and all interests from the Carolina's to Florida should remain on high alert.

Emily Update

It finally rained in Montreal yesterday, but too much too fast in some areas of the city with 26.3mm falling at the airport in a brief period of time in the late afternoon. The rain was already half of what fell in the entire month of July. It produced flooding in Verdun and the downtown core with several underpasses closed. In my little corner of the metro region we missed the first storms but some late last night and overnight brought about 6mm of rain, not much but I will take it. We managed a warm high of 31C yesterday before the storms, and we should reach about 27C today. We still have a slight risk of some showers early today, but the radar is clear except close to the US border and I expect it will stay that way.

Tropical Storm Emily : has developed in the Atlantic and is about 265 miles southeast of San Jaun this morning and moving west at 14mph. The storm is poorly organized but could still be a rain producer for Haiti, the Dominican and parts of the Leeward Islands. Winds are around 40mph with some slow strengthening possible. The storm could threaten the Florida east coast by the weekend.

Severe Thunderstorms

9:30pm Update: Storms are now moving just south of L'Ile Perrot with rain finally falling on my parched lawn and flowers. Lots of lightning, but no severe weather. Storms are heading for Chateauguay and Mercier.

A line of fast moving thunderstorms crossed the island of Montreal around 4pm today producing flash flooding in some suburbs and toppling trees and power poles in others. The storms caused flooding and wind damage through the center of the city with major flooding at Victoria and Jean Talon (above from CJAD.com), and power poles knocked down in South Shore Brossard. Trees also fell in may areas including several onto cars and one onto a home in Cote St. Paul where several families had to be evacuated. Despite the flooding in parts of the city, others such as here in Dorion had no rain at all. The temperature under sunny and humid skies had reached 30C but rapidly dropped to 22C during the storms.

Another line of storms is splitting the area at this hour, with cells passing west of my location across Valleyfield as well as more storms across the center portion of the city. I don't have an estimate on rainfall as of this time from the afternoon storms, and my gauge here at the house was bone dry.

Below: Storms are splitting my home here on L' Ile Perrot. (myweather.com)

More dry weather

This a great story HERE : Ralph the pelican was released this morning in North Carolina after being found on a roof of a Halifax, Nova Scotia business after Hurricane Earl last September. She has been returned home to her native North Carolina, very close to the Outer Banks.

July is drawing to a close today much the same way it started, sunny and warm and very dry. We had about 50 percent of our normal rainfall in Montreal with 56.2mm at the airport. But most of that was in thunderstorms, fell in a very short time and did not affect other parts of the city. For example here on Ile Perrot I had about 20mm of rain, less than one inch. Most of my flowers including the roses are dead, the lawn is hay and the trees are dropping their leaves. We have a strictly enforced water ban in the municipality as do many other regions in the southern part of the province and into Ontario. Today we are looking at temperatures close to 30C with sunshine. Tonight a weak front may produce a shower or two before sunshine and warm temperatures return into mid week.

Tropical Storm Emily?

An Army Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is on route to an area of disturbed weather about 650 miles east of the Lesser Antilles that is expected to become Tropical Storm Emily late today (100% likelihood according to the NHC). The storm is forecast to head towards the islands and affect them this week before moving towards the Bahamas and possibly the east coast. Stay tuned as this will be a big weather story this week.

Don fizzles

Texas Drought - 1 vs. Tropical Atlantic - 0

It was not much of a battle as Tropical Storm Don literally dried out over south Texas last night. The storm, or what was left of it moved inland near Baffin Bay around 10pm and immediately began to evaporate over the drought stricken state. The historic drought was too much for the poorly organized storm and this morning it is a remnant low over the Rio Grande. The storm provided little relief from the drought with just scattered showers and thunderstorms. Forecasters were expecting perhaps 1-3 inches of rain, but that seems generous with most stations reporting much less than that. Winds were perhaps 20mph along the coast. Forecasters are now watching two other areas of interest in the Atlantic basin for possible development. We are now heading into the peak seasonal months of August and September.

Weekend Update

The long weekend is upon is several parts of the country. The weather looks ideal in Ontario and Quebec with sunny skies and temperatures around 28C for both Saturday and Sunday. Today we have low pressure with a warm and cold front to our west. The warm front will cross the region early today with some showers or thunderstorms followed by the cold front later today with more storms. Radar shows a narrow band of precipitation marching across Ontario towards the Quebec border this morning. It will be warm and humid with highs around 29C, we are currently 23C in Montreal.

(National Hurricane Center)

Tropical Storm Don
Tropical storm Don remains poorly organized and somewhat elongated this morning over the Gulf of Mexico with 50mph winds. The storm is heading northwest at 14 mph towards the lower Texas coast. Don should make landfall tonight near Corpus Christie with slightly stronger winds and a surge of 1-2 feet. The rain from Don will not by any means be a drought buster for the parched state, but welcome nonetheless. Look for 2-5 inches along the path of Don with as much as 7 inches locally. The rain will be confined to South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Tropical Storm Warnings are flying along the Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande River north to Matagorda.

Tropical Storm Don update

Tropical Storm Don remains a minimal system this morning looking a little less organized on satellite and radar than he did last evening. The system will begin slowly pulling away from the Yucatan today and into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande to San Luis Pass. Don is moving northwest at 10mph and will approach the watch area by late Friday. The system is expected to become better organized today and become a strong tropical storm by landfall. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter is en route this morning and we should have a better idea of how Don is behaving shortly.

Montreal weather remains very dry with only 50.6mm officially at Trudeau airport but most of that falling during 2 thunderstorms on 2 days. Only 93.8mm fell last month. No appreciable rain has fallen in the last 10 days, and none in the forecast, just spotty showers or storms over the next 24 hours as weak low pressure moves to our north. Into the weekend look for much warmer and more humid weather with highs from 27C to 30C right into next week.

Tropical Storm Don

A NOAA Hurricane Hunter flying into low pressure this afternoon just north of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula has observed 40mph winds and a closed center, so we now have our fourth named storm of the season, tropical storm Don. Don is forecast to move northwest at about 12mph towards the middle Texas coast. Some strengthening is expected, and we could have a strong tropical storm on the Texas coast by late Friday. The state has been suffering from searing heat and drought so the rain is welcome. Lets hope the wind and wave impact is minimal. Waters in the Gulf are warm but the storm is encountering moderate shear and this may keep development down.

Sunshine returns

My favorite peeps or pups Ginger (front) and Sheldon enjoying a break in the rain at the beach in Nova Scotia yesterday, on vacation with their mom and dad.

The heat and high humidity will take a break for one day as a pleasant air mass settles into Quebec and Ontario today. Temperatures will be in the mid 20's with low humidity and bright sunny skies. Despite the thunderstorm activity that was quite loud and at times severe across the city yesterday, we only received 1.6mm of rain at the airport and not much more than that at my home. The dry conditions persist with watering bans in effect in many southern Quebec municipalities. I noticed today my roses and trees are just about done. The lawn has been hay for awhile now. The heat will build back into the region starting tomorrow with temperatures at 30C into the weekend and just a slight risk of a thunderstorm.