Toronto breaks temperature record as unseasonable warmth hits Ontario
Temperatures are soaring across Ontario with Toronto breaking a daily record and other cities poised to follow suit.
The temperature cracked 11 C by 10 a.m. Friday at Toronto Pearson International Airport, busting a daily record set on the same day in 1938, when it reached a high of 10.6 C. It’s the latest record to fall across Canada, where forecasters had warned a strong global El Niño climate pattern paired with the effects of human-caused climate change was expected to lead to a warmer winter.
Environment Canada meteorologist Peter Kimbell says it was nearly 5 degrees warmer than average in December and 3.4 degrees above average last month in Toronto.
Kimbell says London, Windsor and Ottawa were among the other cities flirting with daily records, as unseasonable warmth brings far-reaching effects across the province. An organization representing First Nations across northern Ontario declared a state of emergency this week because of impassable winter roads, which communities depend on for deliveries of fuels, food supplies and construction materials.
In sunny spots, the day could feel five or six degrees warmer than reported, as temperatures are measured in the shade, says David Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment Canada.
“I wouldn’t be surprised (if) we’ll see muscle shirts and tank tops out there today,” he said.
Although Friday’s temperatures are more common for spring, Phillips says models suggest the second half of February will be more seasonable.
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