That doesn't mean Quebec won't see heat waves, but they are expected to be less intense and less frequent.
The heat wave settling over Quebec this week is not indicative of the weather eastern Canada can expect over the course of the summer, according to the MétéoMédia weather network.
“The summer of 2023 marks the end of a cycle and will see temperatures that will be closer to the norm for Quebec,” said André Monette, head of meteorology for MétéoMédia.
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Monette said that while temperatures will remain close to or slightly below the norms expected for the season, “that doesn’t mean the eastern part of the country will not see heat waves, but they will be less intense and less frequent.”
MétéoMédia predicts the return of El Niño after an absence of several years, a weather phenomenon that might make itself felt in Quebec over the weeks and months to come.
“El Niño is currently forming” and “will often bring waves of cooler air” and clouds to Quebec and Ontario, Monette said.
Most regions of Quebec can expect more rain than usual and meteorologists will be keeping an eye on the storm season, according to MétéoMédia.
“Nothing extreme, we don’t think we’ll be breaking any records for precipitation,” Monette said, adding that the risk of seeing a derecho, the violent windstorm event that struck the province in the spring of 2022 “is less serious, since we won’t be seeing a majority of very, very hot temperatures.”
The derecho of 2022 began in Sarnia, Ont., and ran more than 1,000 kilometres to Quebec in nine hours. It contained at least four tornadoes and multiple wind gusts of 195 km/h.
In western Canada, the effects of El Niño will take the form of higher temperatures, a possibility that adds to the risks already posed by forest fires in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, according to MétéoMédia. The spike in temperatures could also result in extremely dry conditions for farmers in the Prairies.
The Atlantic provinces are expected to see temperatures remain close to seasonal norms.
In Montreal Wednesday, expect a sunshine and a high of 31 C during the day, with a humidex of 34. The UV index is 8, or very high. At night, a low of 20 C. There is a chance of showers — but not till Friday.
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