Perfect stretch of summer weather for Montreal

A massive tree crushes a car in
York, Maine late on Tuesday.

Ok, so I should have left my forecast alone yesterday. But I must admit the radar looked impressive in Ontario and most of us really thought Montreal would see a decent shot of heavy rain and thunder through the middle part of the day. As with so many other days this summer in Montreal, it was not to be with only about 2-3mm, a splash in the rain gauge occurring near the noon hour. Otherwise it was a cloudy, damp day with all the big storms staying either north or south of Montreal, same old story this year.

Tho storms managed to dump 20-30mm of rain is some portions of the Townships,  notably near Granby. They also produced very heavy rain across New Hampshire with flooding observed as well as severe weather over portions of coastal Maine and New Hampshire. York, Maine was particularly hard hit with trees crashing onto homes and cars late in the afternoon. Power poles were also snapped across the Seacoast with numerous outages.

HEAT & HUMIDITY BUILD
The forecast for southern Quebec is looking great as we head into the upcoming weekend and the start of a very busy summer vacation period in this province. There is a slight risk of a few showers today, but otherwise sunny through next Monday. Temperatures will be around 25C (77F) for highs today into Saturday with lows near 16C (61F). Temperatures will rise this weekend and into next week along with the humidity, with daytime highs easily reaching 30C (86F) by Sunday and perhaps 32C (90F) early next week.

Strong thunderstorms with heavy rain for Montreal

I know I promised quiet weather this week for metro Montreal, but first we have to get through Tuesday. What looked like only scattered showers from a low pressure area and cold front is turning into a rather large area of heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms this morning. Heavy rain warnings have now been posted for the St. Lawrence Valley from Kingston to the Ontario/Quebec border. A severe thunderstorm watch for pretty much the same reason is now in effect for metro Montreal and southwestern Quebec. The front is moving into very moist, unstable and humid air and will trigger heavy downpours. Between 25-75mm (1-3 inches) of rainfall is possible in a very short period of time today from about 11am unti late afternoon for Montreal. Temperatures will be muggy near 25C. (77F). The weather should begin to dry out and cool off by Wednesday morning.

Decent weather week for Montreal - record heat in BC

A quiet weather patter is setting up for the week ahead across southern Quebec and Ontario. Sunshine today will allow temperatures to warm to near 26C (79F). There is a little humidity leftover from the 13mm of rain on Sunday, but it should remain clear and dry. Weak low pressure along with a frontal boundary will cross the St. Lawrence Valley on Tuesday with scattered showers and perhaps a thunderstorm. It will be another mild day, around 24C (76F). The frontal passage will allow for some September like air to stream across the Great Lakes with a couple of days of natural air conditioning forecast. Temperatures will be in the low to middle teens at night and perhaps 21C (70F) during the day from Wednesday into Friday. As the high drifts offshore into the Atlantic, much warmer and increasingly humid air will move into southern Quebec by next weekend with sunshine and highs in the upper 20's to near 30C (86F) by Saturday.

Dense smoke from forest fires like this one near Kakisa in the NWT is lowering air quality across western Canada. (CBC News)

WESTERN HEATWAVE

The big weather news this week will be the hot and humid weather across the Pacific Northwest, BC and Alberta. Parts of interior B.C. near Osoyoos hit a record 40C (104F) on Sunday, Lytton also set a record at 41.1C (106F) with hot air streaming north from the deserts of the southwestern US. The hot weather will prevail all week with forecast highs from 35C to 40C (95-102F) through Friday. The hot, windy weather and lightning strikes have increased the forest fire threat with nearly 140 fires burning in the Northwest Territories alone. Over 50 fires are burning in British Columbia. The fires have sent a plume of smoke south and east across portions of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba over the last week producing very poor air quality. The record highs forecast this week in B.C. will not help the situation.

Bright Saturday - humid, showery Sunday for Montreal

The weekend is upon us once again on this Friday morning, we start the day in Montreal at a pleasant 16C (61F) on our way to 27C (81F). Nothing but sunshine and low humidity today as high pressure crests over the region. Clear tonight with lows around 17C (63F). Saturday looks sunny once again but with cloudy periods as winds pick up out of the southwest and the humidity begins to creep up. Temperatures will be warm as well, 30C (86F).

On Sunday the weather pattern begins to change as a deep trough develops over the Great Lakes with energy moving down the St. Lawrence Valley by Tuesday. A warm front draped across southern Quebec will be the focus for showers and thunderstorms from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday night. Some of the storms could be strong on Monday with heavy rain possible. It will clear out by Wednesday next week. Temperatures will be near or slightly below normal for the period at 25C (77F).

High winds leave 100,000 Quebec homes in the dark

A massive tee was just one of hundreds toppled across western New York on Tuesday afternoon. (Syracuse.com)

A powerful line of thunderstorms and strong winds raced across Ontario, New York, Quebec and Vermont on Tuesday afternoon. The storms fueled by high heat and humidity, it reached 31C (88F) in Montreal, knocked down trees and power lines across a wide area. Thousands of homes went dark and remained that way for hours.

The carnage started in central and western New York early in the afternoon as significant damage from strong winds and isolated tornadoes was reported around Syracuse. In Madison County, NY, 4 people were killed after their homes were flattened by wind and thunderstorms. Power outages to over 250,000 homes and businesses were reported from Ohio and Pennsylvania into New York and Vermont by late afternoon. The front hit Montreal around 9pm Tuesday night with winds gusting between 70-90km/h across the entire metro region and Laval. Hydro Quebec reported over 100,000 customers in the dark across the province, 65,000 just in metro Montreal. Hard work overnight by the utility has dropped that number to 16,000 this morning.

Hydro Quebec was busy overnight restoring power to 100,000 Quebec homes and businesses. Between thunderstorms and tropical storm Arthur, the utility has had a crazy busy week. (CJAD)

Here on L'Ile Perrot around 12mm (0.5") of rain fell with the storms between 7 and 9pm, there was very little lightning, and winds over 50km/h. The front has broken the suffocating humidity, humidex readings were as high as 37C (100F) on Tuesday. Today will be cloudy with breaks, windy and cooler with highs near 24C (76F), and less humid. The heat and humidity will break until Saturday when it will begin to build again.

Warm & humid Tuesday for southern Quebec

Several times this summer it looked like Montreal was in line for strong to severe thunderstorms, but fortunately they have not materialized, at least in the city proper. Just this month alone there have been at least three days, including Monday, where the parameters and ingredients were right for thunderstorms. But like the previous two days, none developed on Monday in Montreal. The main area of thunderstorms once again moved across portions of Ontario and into central New York and southern Vermont. We did however have showers for a big portion of the day with a light rainfall of 5-10mm in most metro locations, just enough to water the lawn. There were some reports of 20-30mm closer to the US border and just across it in Vermont.

The warm front the caused the showers Monday is now well east of the region with Montreal in the warm sector. Temperatures are already in the middle 20's, look for warm, muggy highs of 29C (85F) today. A rather vigorous cold front will cross the region late this evening with showers and thunderstorms possible in Ontario, Quebec and New York from the supper hour to around midnight. Lows tonight will be around 20C (68F) with highs on Wednesday at 25C (77F). Some showers may linger into Wednesday but there will also be a few glimpses of sun.Thursday into the early portion of the weekend looks good with plenty of sunshine and seasonably warm. It will become more humid with thunderstorms by Sunday.

A photo of just some of the damage on the farm of Ray Derdall near Outlook, Saskatchewan. He also had major damage done to his home. (Star Phoenix)

SASKATCHEWAN TORNADOES
Environment Canada was out investigating the weekend tornadoes across Saskatchewan. Six tornadoes were reported between 2:30 and 4pm Saturday afternoon. The strongest occurred near Outlook, and was an estimated EF2 capable of winds between 178-217km/h. Major damage was reported on one farm near Outlook.


Meanwhile the cleanup continues in the Maritimes from Tropical Storm Arthur. There are still 65,000 homes and businesses without power in New Brunswick alone. It will take until the weekend to restore all customers.

In southern Manitoba major flooding continues along the Assiniboine River. Sandbagging efforts are well underway to try to alleviate some of the expected flooding in Brandon.

Strong thunderstorms possible for Montreal today - Arthur's aftermath

Above: I had friends visiting New Richmond on the Gaspe Coast this past weekend and they sent me photos of some of the tree damage from Arthur. Below: Hydro Quebec crews busy in the Gaspe restoring power to thousands. They will also send 40 crews to New Brunswick to help. (ValleyWX Photos)

  It was a very busy and wild weather weekend from coast to coast in Canada. Whether it was heat and humidity, fierce thunderstorms, strong winds or hurricane Arthur, we had a little bit of everything. Montreal remained on the western edge of Tropical Storm Arthur with high cloud cover and very gusty northwest winds. The winds across southern Quebec were in the 40-60km/h range most of the weekend. This resulted in scattered power outages across the region.

MONTREAL THUNDERSTORMS
Today we can expect a frontal boundary to slice into a humid air mass giving southern Quebec the possibility of strong thunderstorms. The main threat for Montreal would be from heavy rain and perhaps gusty winds up to 80km/h. The storms should begin by noon and last into the early evening. It will be warm and muggy with highs near 26C.

Fredericton, New Brunswick was hard hit by Arthur with numerous trees down and power out. (CBC News)

Tropical Storm Arthur
Arthur is now history this morning, dissipating over the far north Atlantic. The storm crossed the Nova Scotia coast early on Saturday morning with winds over 100km/h and heavy rain. While flooding and a small storm surge did occur, the big news was the wind. A peak gust to 139km/h (87mph) was reported in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, and winds well in excess of 100km/h occurred across a wide area of New Brunswick, P.E.I and eastern Quebec. Thousands of trees were toppled across Atlantic Canada and Quebec, many hitting homes and taking down power lines. The wind knocked power out to over 250,000 homes in Quebec and the Maritimes. Over 135,000 in New Brunswick alone making it the largest power outage in that provinces history. NB Power reports 155 crews restoring power with another 40 arriving from Hydro Quebec today. It may take until Thursday for all power to be fully restored.

Outlook, Saskatchewan tornado

Severe weather across the country this weekend from tropical storm Arthur on the east coast to tornadoes in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The video above from The Weather Network shows a large tornado near Outlook, Saskatchewan.

Hurricane Arthur hits Atlantic Canada and the Gaspe

Flooding from Arthur in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on Saturday morning. (CBC News)

The heavy rain and strong winds of now post topical storm Arthur are spreading across the Maritimes and eventually into Newfoundland this weekend. The western edge of the storm actually sent clouds into Montreal as well as gusty winds up to 50km/h from the broad circulation of the storm, but little else. The heavy rain and winds in excess of 100km/h are occurring across Nova Scotia, PEI and New Bruinswick as well as the Gaspe Coast. The center of what is left of once hurricane Arthur is currently located near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, moving northeast at 23mph. Most of the heavy rain is occurring across Maine and New Brunswick this morning. Flooding has also been reported along the south coast of Nova Scotia. Yarmouth recorded a wind gust to 103km/h this morning, and nearly 150,000 homes are without power in the Maritimes. Several trees have already fallen onto homes with damage reported.

Rainfall will reach 100-150mm (4-6 inches) across portions of New Brunswick and the Gaspe/Lower North Shore of eastern Quebec today. Arthur will move into the Gulf of St Lawrence later this evening and into Newfoundland Sunday, slowly releasing its grip on Atlantic Canada.

On Friday Arthur pounded North Carolina before moving across the coastal waters of New England. Very heavy rain along the western edge of the tropical system along with a cold front produced nearly 200mm of rain in southeast Massachusetts. New Hampshire also had heavy rain and even a waterspout on Lake Winnepesaukee.

Arthur blasts the Outer Banks of North Carolina

Calm before Arthur: Mariners lock down boats in Nova Scotia prior to the arrival of Arthur. (CBC Nova Scotia)

The 120 mile long chain of barrier islands located off the North Carolina coast known as the Outer Banks, took a direct hit from Hurricane Arthur overnight. The low lying area is prone to flooding and that is what we are seeing this morning with water covering the only north south route, State Highway 12, under several feet of sand and water. Arthur made landfall last evening further south over mainland North Carolina near Beaufort Inlet and then crossed Hatteras Island back into the Atlantic Ocean. Peak winds across the Outer Banks were either side of 100mph overnight. The storm has since raced northeast at over 20mph and is now located off the coast in the Atlantic northeast of Kitty Hawk. Widespread power outages have also been reported but the very early assessment by emergency management has not reported any major damage or injuries so far with the exception of washed out roads. Hatteras and Ocarcoke Islands remain closed to visitors at this time. Rain and wind will slowly ease and seas subside today.

Winds whip waves across the Manteo/Nags Head Causeway in Eastern North Carolina Friday morning. The Outer Banks remain closed on this July 4th after Arthur pounded the region overnight. (13 News Now Weather)

Arthur will now move well off the Atlantic coast and brush Cape Cod before moving into Nova Scotia early Saturday morning. A tropical storm watch is in effect for coastal regions of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI. Rainfall of over 100mm, 100km/h winds and a storm surge can be expected starting late tonight and lasting into Saturday afternoon. Landfall of Arthur will likely occur near the Bay of Fundy early Saturday morning with the system crossing Nova Scotia and then heading into Newfoundland while weakening somewhat by Sunday. It will be a rainy, windy and wild weekend in Atlantic Canada.

Hurricane Arthur to impact Atlantic Canada

On Wednesday Montreal reached 30C again with the showers and thunderstorms remaining south of Montreal as expected. A few thunderstorms moved across the Ottawa Valley late last night but again they manged to miss metro Montreal. Today will be warm and humid once again but this should be the last day for this current spell. A cold front will introduce clouds and showers by the middle afternoon with perhaps some thunder. Temperatures will be cooler today at 27C (81F) due to precipitation and cloud cover. Showers tonight and early Friday with much cooler weather expected, lows near 17C and Friday highs around 22C, natural air conditioning.

The location of Hurricane Arthur at 5am Thursday, July 3, as well as the anticipated track northeast towards Nova Scotia by this upcoming weekend.

HURRICANE ARTHUR
The first named hurricane of the 2014 season is located about 340 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina this morning. NOAA Hurricane Hunters had the storm reaching hurricane strength (category 1) of 75mph this morning at 5AM. A strengthening of the storm is forecast and winds could reach 85-95mph today. The system is moving towards the north at 9mph. A hurricane warning is in effect for the North Carolina coast as far north as Virginia Beach. Mandatory evacuations started this morning along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, particularly Hatters and Ocracoke Islands. As I mentioned yesterday, I am very familiar with the geography of the Outer Banks and any type of storm is problematic for the low lying barrier islands. Airing on the side of caution, and on the eve of the 4th of July weekend, evacuations were ordered. The initial affects of the storm will be rising surf and wind late this afternoon. Up to 150mm (6 inches) of rain along with winds in excess of 100mph are possible by early Friday. In addition, a storm surge of  2-4 feet is possible with coastal flooding expected.

By late Friday and into the weekend the system will accelerate northeast towards Nova Scotia with landfall as a category 1 hurricane or strong tropical storm likely on Saturday very close to Halifax according to computer models. Heavy rain, strong winds and a storm surge are expected for portions of Nova Scotia, PEI and perhaps the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec and New Brunswick. The details will be more refined and watches or warnings posted later today or early Friday.

Record high 33C for Montreal

A heat warning remains posted by Environment Canada for southwest Quebec as heat index values approach 37C (100F) once again this afternoon. Tuesday was the warmest Canada Day ever in Montreal as the mercury officially hit 33.2C (91.7F) at Trudeau Airport. The previous record was 32.5C from 1963. It remained warm overnight dropping only into the low 20's,  we are sitting at 26C (79F) already at 8am this morning. Temperatures will be a degree or two cooler today but remaining humid with highs near 31C (88F). The record today, also from 1963, is 34.4C.

The forecast for the most part was dry on Canada Day for Montreal with thunderstorms remaining over the Laurentians and Ottawa Valley or well south of Quebec in central New York. The storms were fast moving but did produce some wind damage across the lower Laurentians. Today's risk for storms is rather low for Montreal with the main dynamic south of the city across New York and Vermont and perhaps into the Sherbrooke area.It will remain hazy and humid in southern Quebec into Thursday with lows tonight near 22C and highs Thursday once again approaching 30C. A trough will bring showers and thunderstorms late Thursday with cooler and dryer weather arriving by late Friday. The weekend looks sunny with near normal temperatures.

A spectacular visible image of a strengthening tropical storm Arthur east of Florida this morning. Note the thunderstorm tops bubbling high into the atmosphere. (NOAA)

ARTHUR
Tropical storm Arthur developed as expected on Tuesday and now has 60mph winds. The deepening storm with impressive convection is located a few miles off the Florida coast about 495 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina, moving north at 6 mph. This morning tropical storm warnings are in affect along the Florida coast, with a hurricane watch posted along the fragile North Carolina coast including the Outer Banks south of Oregon Inlet. Arthur is forecast to intensify into a minimal hurricane while approaching North Carolina by Friday. Heavy rain and high surf will be the primary threat at this time. I have vacationed on Hatteras Island since 1991 and this region is highly vulnerable to flooding from both the ocean and sound. Beyond the Carolina's the storm could bring high winds and rain to Nova Scotia and PEI by this weekend.

Warmest day of 2014 for Montreal - strong storms likely

Happy Canada Day.

We are warm and very humid this morning in Montreal as temperatures start the day in the mid 20's. Currently I have 25C on L'Ile Perrot but with an 83 per cent humidity, it feels quite uncomfortable. A heat warning is in effect for eastern Ontario and southwest Quebec. Temperatures will warm under hazy sunshine to 33C (92F) today with heat index values close to 38C (100F) for metro Montreal and the surrounding region. As always try to limit extreme outdoor activities and drink plenty of water. Temperatures will remain warm tonight, dropping to 23C and warm again on Wednesday at 30C. It should turn cooler and less humid by Thursday.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
The other threat today will come in the form of strong thunderstorms. A cold front moving into Ontario and Quebec will trigger these storms, and with plenty of moisture and energy available they could be quite strong. The threat will begin early this afternoon in western Quebec and Ontario, and spread towards metro Montreal by the supper hour. Already this morning a severe thunderstorm watch has been posted north and west of Montreal. With today being a holiday and many outdoor activities scheduled, it is important to be aware of any potential severe weather and warnings that may be issued later today for Montreal. The main threat will be strong winds and possible hail. There is also the risk of an isolated tornado in regions northwest of Montreal and across southern Ontario.

The current forecast track of Arthur may take it towards Nova Scotia by the weekend. (NHC)

Tropical Storm Arthur
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Florida are tracking the first tropical system of the young 2014 season in the Atlantic basin. Depression one will likely become tropical storm Arthur today as winds reach 39mph. The storm is forecast to slowly develop just off the US southeast coast. It is forecast at this time to remain just offshore with heavy rain (3-5 inches) and rough surf expected on the coast from northeast Florida to North Carolina. The potential is there for Arthur to become a hurricane by the weekend near the Outer Banks. We will have to watch this system closely as the potential is there for some weather to affect Atlantic Canada by the weekend. At this time the New England beaches look to be spared from a direct hit, however the surf will be rough.

Heat Advisory for Metro Montreal

It was a sultry day across southern Quebec on Sunday with temperatures in the low 30's including 31.3C (88F) here on L'Ile Perrot. Factor in the humidity and it felt closer to 40C Sunday afternoon. Some showers and thunderstorms are occurring in the hot and humid conditions across Ontario and they may spread briefly into Quebec as well early Monday. Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for metro Montreal for Monday with hazy weather forecast and highs near 32C (90F). Humidex readings in the afternoon will once again approach 40C. Drink lots of fluids and don't over exert yourself outdoors. A cold front will bring some relief by Canada Day but also strong thunderstorms with the risk of severe weather including hail for Montreal during the afternoon hours. More on that threat as we get closer to the event.

Major flooding from 100-200mm of rain is being reported in Saskatchewan and Manitoba including Regina (above).

Prairie Flooding
Meanwhile severe flooding is occurring across southwest Manitoba and southeast Saskatchewan. Numerous roads are closed due to flooding including the Tran-Canada Highway near Moosomin. Major flooding has occurred in Regina and rain swollen rivers are starting to put pressure on the lakes region around Winnipeg. Strong storms dumped between 100-200mm (4-8 inches) of rain this weekend. In addition winds have brought down trees and power lines in Winnipeg. Brandon is under a state of emergency after 117mm of rain in the last 24 hours. Major overland flooding is occurring with fields and crops under water and highways washed out. Nearly one dozen Saskatchewan communities are under a state of emergency including Yorkton and Melville.

A perfect weekend for Montreal - sunny & hot

The rain is over for the time being. We are looking at what has been a very wet June in Montreal with nearly 170mm of rain at Trudeau Airport for the month, over double the normal. Other portions of southern Quebec have had even more. A state of emergency remains in effect in Saint-Colomban northwest of Montreal where nearly 100mm of rain fell last Tuesday alone, washing out many roads and flooding homes. Lachute reported 82mm of rain and Montreal 50mm. The slow moving system was across southern and eastern New England as well as Atlantic Canada Thursday with more heavy rain and isolated flooding.

A flooded underpass in the Cartierville district of Montreal on Tuesday night. This is why you do not drive your car into any standing water. Turn around don't drown! (CBC News)

SUNNY & HOT
For now high pressure will build into southern Quebec with another ridge building north from the Atlantic. The combination will drive up the temperatures as well as increase the humidity in Montreal. We managed 27C (81F) on Thursday with highs forecast either side of 30C (86F) through Canada Day. Overnight lows will be warm as well near 19C (66F). Nothing but sunshine through the long weekend with the next threat for showers and thunderstorms increasing by Tuesday.

Montreal flooding and another Ontario tornado

Several homes on Paquin Street in Ile Bizzard had to have their basements pumped by Montreal firefighters. (CJAD)

We had a very muggy, wet June 24 holiday in Montreal yesterday with showers and thunderstorms all day long hampering parades and B.B.Q's. The inclement weather was caused by a slow cold front moving south into very warm and mosit tropical air. The result was a day of thunderstorms across southern Ontario and Quebec. The rain accumulated about 12mm over the course of the daylight hours in Montreal, but really increased in intensity in the late evening as another 40mm fell. Over 30mm (1 inch) of that fell in just over one hour between 10:45 and midnight here on L'Ile Perrot. My total for the day was exactly 50mm (2 inches) with 40mm at the airport, and even more in other parts of the city. The heavy rain produced some flooding in several sections of the city including Ile Bizzard where at least 6 homes had major damage with up to 6 feet of water in their basements. Some highways also had to be temporarily closed by Transport Quebec to deal with water accumulation.

More tornado damage shown above in Ontario as the community of New Tecumseth was hit Tuesday afternoon by an EF-1 tornado. (The Weather Network)

TORNADO
In Ontario more severe weather was reported with an EF-1 tornado touching down in New Tecumseth, northwest of Toronto on Tuesday afternoon. The storm had winds in excess of 135km/h and was on the ground for at least 10 kilometers. Environment Canada will be assessing the damage today to provide more details on the 5th Ontario tornado this season. Another funnel cloud with rotation was reported closer to home in North Glengarry, Ontario. No damage was reported with that storm. Meanwhile Ottawa had 55mm of rain with flooding observed in several neighborhoods. Like Montreal, some city streets and highways had to be closed briefly as a result of water accumulation.

HOT WEATHER
What could be our first stretch of really hot summer weather is on the horizon. High pressure will pump warm and increasingly humid air from the US south into the St. Lawrence Valley and the Great Lakes starting as early as Saturday. It looks at this time like we could have several days of temperatures at or above 30C (86F) into next week. Until then temperatures will be in the 22 to 25C (72 to 77F) range with showers today and clearing skies on Thursday.

Warmer & more humid with thunderstorms by Tuesday

A variable sky on Saturday over Montreal with more clouds than sun. Sunday was a perfect weather day. (ValleyWX Photo)

After a great weekend, back to work Monday is looking much warmer and more humid. L'Ile Perrot is already at 19C (66F) early this Monday morning with nothing but sunshine. It will remain that way for the entire day with high temperatures pushing 28C (83F). The work week won't last long here in Quebec, as we have our provincial holiday tomorrow (Le Fete, St jean Baptiste Day), call what you want, it is a day off work. Unfortunately the sunshine will not last either. A frontal system will move into southern Quebec overnight with increasing clouds followed by showers and thunderstorms for Tuesday. Some of the storms may have very heavy rain. It has already been a wet month with nearly 130mm (over 5 inches of rain) here in Montreal. Normal rainfall at Trudeau Airport for June is 87mm, and we are well beyond that with a week to go. Temperatures tonight will remain warm near 20C (68F). On Tuesday cloud cover and showers should keep temperatures down between 21 and 24C (70-75F). It should clear out Wednesday with sunshine and a high near 24C (76F).

Spectacular weekend forecast for Montreal

Summer arrives at 6:51am Saturday morning and it looks like nothing but sunshine and warm temperatures for most portions of southern Quebec and eastern Ontario for the upcoming weekend. Temperatures in Montreal will warm from 22C (72F) today up to near 27C (81F) by Sunday. Overnight lows will be comfortable around 14C (56F), and humidity levels should remain low. The next chance for any precipitation will be late Tuesday as a frontal boundary approaches Quebec with the risk of showers and thunderstorms.

Major flooding is occurring yet again in southern Alberta. (CBC News)

Alberta Flooding
The weather has not been so kind in western Canada as a stubborn area of low pressure meandering around southern Alberta has generated heavy rain and even snow. Rainfall amounts in excess of 200mm (8 inches) since Monday has resulted in flooding around Fort Macleod, Magrath, Claresholm and Lethbridge County, Alberta. This is occurring one year to the date of the severe flooding last June that would eventually spread into Calgary. Flood watches and warnings are in effect across a large portion of southern Alberta, with a state of emergency declared in 11 communities so far.

What a weather week, flood, fire, searing heat, tornadoes and now a snowstorm! Heavy snow fell this week in parts of Utah and Wyoming.

Meanwhile the same system produced a very rare June snowstorm across the northern US Rockies with as much as two feet (60cm) of snow across the upper elevations of northwest Montana, Utah (above) and Wyoming.

Angus, Ontario EF-2 tornado

A major EF2 tornado races across Angus, Ontario late Tuesday. (Video Tina Forget)

Severe weather is in the news again across North America as an elongated area of disturbed weather stretches from the US high plains to the Great Lakes. On Monday twin tornadoes smashed into the tiny northeast Nebraska community of Pilger destroying 75 percent of the town and killing two and critically injuring 16. The same system has been producing very heavy rain across southern Alberta with over 100 mm (4 inches) reported in the Pincher Creek area. This is the same portion of Alberta where major flooding started last summer spreading into Calgary. More rain is forecast today as the system lingers.

Complete damage in the tiny Nebraska town of Pilger on Monday. (The Weather Channel)

ONTARIO STORMS

The eastern portion of the front raced through Ontario on Tuesday with widespread severe weather. In the early morning hours, lightning struck four golfers in Stouffville, Ontario, leaving one in critical condition. The quick work of an ICU Nurse nearby saved the mans life as she preformed CPR on the victim. It stresses the point I made in my last blog entry (see below) about how important it is to get indoors at the first threat of any lightning. The system also spawned a major EF-2 tornado around 5:30pm, capable of winds in excess of 200km/h. The tornado swept across a neighborhood of Angus, Ontario near Barrie severely damaging over 30 homes. Evacuations were ordered for 300 people. Roofs and sheds were torn apart, power poles were snapped in half, trees down and a truck flipped on its side. One person was injured according to local media. Environment Canada will be on scene today to determine the exact width and intensity of the tornado. Other regions of Ontario including Hamilton were under tornado warnings. Further east 104km/h winds cut power and toppled trees in Trenton. Heavy rain along the 401 corridor produced dangerous driving conditions with zero visibility in sudden downpours. Over 30,000 Ontario homes were left without power from the storms.

(Global News) Major damage was reported in Angus, Ontario. 

MONTREAL

As the system arrived in Montreal just after midnight early this morning, torrential rain fell with 24mm (1 inch) in less than 1 hour here on L'Ile Perrot. The system has now raced off to the east and is already over Atlantic Canada. More showers and thunderstorms are possible in Ontario and Quebec today along a weak cold front before we see clearing and cooler weather into the weekend. Temperatures will be warm today near 26C before it cools to 22C on Thursday.

Lightning Safety

At any given second, lightning is striking the earth somewhere, nearly 2000 thunderstorms are active around the earth every minute! Lightning is responsible for numerous death and injuries, and tons of damage to homes, electrical devises and power grids. Numerous fires are also started by lightning.

First of all, there is no safe place outdoors during a thunderstorm, your best defense, get inside. While your chances of being struck by lightning are slim, 10 Canadians pay the ultimate price for that gamble in an average year. Another 150 to 160 are injured, some with injuries that will stay with them for life. The average bolt of lightning contains enough energy, 300 million volts in a typical flash of lightning, to light a 100-watt incandescent light bulb for about three months. The air displaced by lightning is heated to a temperature 5 times that of the sun, nearly 28,000C, (50,000F) enough to melt car tires and burn skin. If you are stuck outside, get as low as you can, make yourself as small as possible.

I took this picture near my home in Kemptville, Ontario back in 2009. Lightning occurs quickly and is one of the top weather killers in North America. (ValleyWX Photo)

One of the myths about lightning is that it never strikes the same place twice. Note that the Empire State building in New York City is struck an average of more than 100 times each year. Rule number one, lightning likes tall objects, stay away from trees. Most deaths across North America are from those who seek shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm, it is one of the worst places you can be. Another is anywhere on or near water. Head ashore as soon as threatening weather approaches. You should always know the risk of thunderstorms when boating or at the beach. Keep a weatheradio with you at all times, they are cheap and could be a lifesaver, or download one of the may weather applications for your smartphone.

Lightning can strike more than 5km from the parent storm, so as soon as you hear thunder, head indoors. Refrain from outdoor activities such as swimming, soccer or golfing for at least 30 minutes after the last thunder occurs. A recent study by Environment Canada indicated that as little as 3-5% of individuals injured or killed by lightning in Canada are by a direct hit. Most occur by ground current (40-50%) or side flash (20-30%). That is why it is so important to refrain from using electrical appliances such as phones or computers that are hardwired directly to your home. Cordless items are fine to use. 

You are relatively safe inside a car, however if a car is directly hit, significant damage, including fire and blown out windows can occur. Just last week a couple from Tofield, Alberta had their truck struck by lighting. The vehicle became engulfed in a fireball and filled with smoke. It rolled to a stop with the electrical system destroyed. They were rescued by a passing RCMP officer. I posted a still image above taken form a nearby security camera.

Another myth, is that people struck can't be touched. A person struck by lightning is safe to handle immediately, they may need CPR or other medical attention.