“This unusually warm spell we’re seeing in western Canada is coming from the southwestern part of the United States,” David Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, told Global News. “What we’re seeing is a heat dome that has captured a large part of the geography of North America,” he said. A heat dome is an area of high pressure that sits above parts of the atmosphere and allows temperatures to build up over a period of time. “He’s like a bully. You can’t chase it away. It just doesn’t go away and it becomes dangerous and unhealthy,” Phillips said. Story continues below ad While heat domes can sometimes last months, this particular one set in earlier this week, he added. In a heat dome, air rises but is blocked by the “cap or roof,” which pushes it down to make temperatures even hotter, according to Phillips. “Temperatures that would be comfortably hot are, in fact, dangerously hot. They are reaching levels that people are not used to,” he said. And, while heat domes are usually intense, this one is unusually strong and warm, he said. “We’re seeing record temperatures … and there’s no stopping it at the border,” Phillips said. British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan started feeling the heat earlier this week, with other provinces like Manitoba also expected to feel the heat soon, he said. “It’s just hot and dry and the sun is baking the ground and making the air even hotter,” he said. Trending Stories
NASA Postpones 2nd Moon Rocket Attempt Citing Another Fuel Leak Man stung by bees 20,000 times while removing tree branches in Ohio
No storms are expected to pass through the heat dome for a period of relief, Phillips added. “There is no escape. It’s like a weather-free zone. It diverts all the time,” he said. “It takes that weather away so you can’t have any relief breezes or storms coming in to wipe it out.” Story continues below ad With the heat dome coming later in the summer, there are serious consequences, according to Phillips. “This is getting very serious. “We often see the kinds of heat that we see in parts of the United States and certainly in Canada, but we would see it more in mid-July, not early September,” he said. “The calendar has changed but the weather hasn’t.” “When I was a kid, winter came in maybe November,” Kent Moore, professor of physics and vice-president of research at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, told Global News about growing up in southern ON. “Now, when does winter come? Maybe December, maybe January, maybe never,” he said. “The cool part of the year is getting shorter, the warmer part of the year is getting longer.” With seasons lasting different lengths, ecosystems and animals are also affected, according to Moore. “I think we are seeing the impact of climate change. If we don’t change our carbon footprint, these events may become more extreme in the future,” he said. In Western Canada, this is expected to be the region’s warmest Labor Day weekend since 2006, according to a report from The Weather Network. In parts of Alberta, including Medicine Hat, temperatures are expected to reach 35 degrees on Monday, the report said. A high of 29 is expected in Calgary and a high of 28 is forecast for Edmonton and Fort McMurray. Story continues below ad In Saskatchewan, Saskatoon is expected to feel the heat soar to 34 degrees and Regina to 33 degrees. The report also confirmed that storm activity in this part of the country appears “quiet and isolated, with a warm and stable ridge running the weekend show.” In the east, locations in Ontario, including Windsor, are forecast to see a high of 25 degrees, although it is expected to be 28, according to the report. In Newfoundland, heavy rain may occur over the weekend, unlike other parts of Canada. Occasional rain and thunderstorms are also expected in Ontario and Quebec, the report said. A risk of scattered rain is also expected to move to the maritime provinces on Monday. — With files from Kyle Benning and Heather Yourex-West of Global News © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
