'Something we need to prepare for': ECCC says warm summer expected in Winnipeg

The heat in the city of Winnipeg will moderate in the next few days, but Environment Canada says residents should expect a hot summer this year.

Jesse Wagar, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), said the rolling average for days with temperatures about 30 C in June is five days. Six days into the month, Winnipeg has seen three days above 30 degrees.

While the heat warning is expected to end this week, Wagar said warm temperatures will be coming back.

“We're hoping that we get a couple of days of cooling here Friday and Saturday. But we're right back into the heat after those cool days,” she said.

She says the current projections across Canada are for a summer filled with above-average temperatures.

“Our summer is going to be a warm one.”

Wagar said upper winds and the upper atmosphere are steering the current high temperatures.

“The way it’s sort of set up, it's been in a bit of a blocking pattern,” she said. “We've seen a couple of these blocking patterns over the last little while, and it's funnelling in a lot of warm air, pushing it all the way up across the Prairies, even up into Arctic regions, and then it just sort of sticks there for a little bit until we can get a pretty dynamic system to come in and push things out.”

She adds climate change is another factor for why warmer temperatures are being seen earlier in the summer season, and it will likely become a trend going forward.

“The trend is to see these warmer temperatures earlier and longer. So I think is probably something that we need to prepare for and know how to keep ourselves safe in the hot weather, especially as they are earlier in the season,” Wagar said.

“We’re sort of used to it in July and August, when it’s quite hot, but when it starts to show up earlier in the season, people aren't quite ready for it.”

Wagar adds people need to remember to take precautions while going out, including staying hydrated and watching for signs of heat illness.