Prepare for heat, folks. Windsor-Essex weather over the next three months will likely be warmer and more humid than usual, says a Weather Network meteorologist.
“We anticipate temperatures to be slightly above normal for the summer months,” said Dayna Veteese of The Weather Network on Wednesday.
“Last summer, we didn’t get a lot of the hot, humid days that we’re used to in Southern Ontario. We think that’ll be different this year. We should get more.”
The reason? Veteese said it’s just how the region’s weather pattern looks like it’s setting up because of El Nino and La Nina — the warming and cooling phases, respectively, of oceanic wind and water surface temperatures.
That doesn’t mean every day this June, July, and August will be hot and humid. “We will have periods of near-normal temperatures — pleasant days,” Veteese said. “But when we average it out at the end of the season, we should be slightly above normal.”
Wednesday provided ready proof of Veteese’s prediction. By 4 p.m., the mercury in Windsor-Essex thermometers had climbed to 30 C (86 F).
The Weather Network is forecasting such highs to continue through the weekend — although there is a chance of showers.
In the longer-term perspective, Veteese’s comments match those of Environment Canada’s senior climatologist David Phillips — who also warned that such conditions are conducive to smog.
“We will see more poor air quality days compared to last year,” Veteese agreed.
“That being said, we do anticipate the summer weather pattern to be changing constantly. As we get different air masses moving in, it helps to clear out some of the haze.”
Asked about the possibility of extreme weather events — the violent storms and even tornadoes that can hit Windsor-Essex — Veteese said it’s hard to make projections about such phenomena.
“I will say that Southwestern Ontario is prone to severe summer weather,” she said. “Those, we can’t predict far ahead of time. It’s more like the day before or a few days before.”
“That’s why it’s really important when you’re making plans in the summer to check your forecast as often as possible. Summer weather is very changeable. You can have blue skies one minute, and then half an hour later, you’re getting a thunder storm.”
