Montreal Heat Wave To Last Until Friday

A heat wave continues in Montreal Wednesday for the fourth day, with a forecast high of 33C. Here, Émilie Lecavallier plays the song Autumn Leaves in Lafontaine park in Montreal Monday, August 30, 2010 as friends Jo-Annie Dubois reads and Charles Trudel accompanies on melodica. The well-known song was originally written in french as "Les feuilles mortes." Photograph by: John Kenney, THE GAZETTE

Montreal Heat Wave In 4th Day -- The Montreal Gazette

Hot humid air to last until Friday

MONTREAL - The heat wave in the Montreal region and Laval is expected to last through Wednesday, with a forecast high of 33C and high humidity that will make it feel like it’s 40C.

Environment Canada has extended its high heat and humidity warning for Montreal and Laval for Wednesday, advising residents to drink lots of water, limit physical activity and seek out air-conditioned or shady areas. The advisory stresses that people suffering from heart and respiratory conditions should take special care.

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My Comment: Don't fret .... winter and cold temperatures are just around the corner.

Montreal's Weather Forecast Is Calling For Cold Temperatures

Brrrr! Time To Get Out The Woolies -- Montreal Gazette

MONTREAL – Those frigid temperatures that have been dogging Alberta and other parts of the west are heading our way for a couple of days, so it’s time to dig out the down jacket and the scarves, ’cause it’s gonna be frosty.

After two days of daytime highs hovering around the freezing mark, the mercury will plummet starting Thursday when a new front moves in.

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My Comment: Another cold winter ..... yech ....

Montreal Snowstorm Forecast -- December 9, 2009

SNOWFALL WARNING: Montréal Island area Issued at 5:02 AM EST WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER 2009

SNOW AMOUNTS MOSTLY BETWEEN 15 AND 25 CENMETERS ARE EXPECTED AS OF THIS MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY. IN THE ST LAWRENCE VALLEY AND OVER HIGHER GROUNDS, AMOUNTS COULD REACH UP TO 35 CENTIMETRES. More here.

A Montreal November To Remember

Gloria Gao walks past snow-covered pine trees in the parking lot of the Fairview shopping centre in Pointe Claire yesterday. Photograph by: JOHN KENNEY, THE GAZETTE, The Gazette

From The Montreal Gazette:

Notwithstanding the 2.5 centimetres we got yesterday morning, November was a spectacular month in terms of temperature and lack of precipitation.

Every day of the month, Montreal recorded daily highs that were 2 to 7 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal normals for this time of year.

And the sunshine! Not quite a record, but much higher than seasonal norms for the month.

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My Comment: I will confess that it has been a mild November. But this usually means a colder winter.

Better Late Than Never: Sunny Forecast For Montreal

From The Montreal Gazette:

MONTREAL – The good news on the weather front is that the Montreal region is poised to enjoy its longest stretch of good weather of the summer.

The bad news is that this sun and pleasant warmth without suffocating humidity is unfolding just as children have started school.

The nine-week break from school was generally disappointing in terms of the weather, particularly as far as sunshine was concerned.

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My Comment: Better late than never.

Hurricane Bill To Spare City

Satellite view of Hurricane Bill. Photo AFP.

From The Montreal Gazette:

By passing Montreal, most of Quebec, to rattle Nova Scotia.

No need to batten down the hatches. Environment Canada is saying Hurricane Bill will spare Montreal and most of Quebec while Nova Scotia will take a beating.

"Bill will probably be a Category One hurricane when it reaches the coast of Nova Scotia,"André Cantin, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said yesterday.

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Oppressive Heat Spell Should Break Tuesday

From Montreal Gazette:

The oppressive heat that has lingered over the Montreal region for the last five days is expected to continue on Tuesday, but relief may finally be on the horizon.

A high heat and humidity warning will remain in effect throughout the day on Tuesday, with Environment Canada advising the public to stay indoors, drink plenty of water and avoid strenuous physical activity.

People with respiratory diseases and the elderly may be especially vulnerable to the high temperatures.

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Update #1: Heat relief on way for Central, Eastern Canada -- CBC

Update #2: Montreal heat triggers spike in 911 calls -- CBC

Heat, Smog Warnings Continue In Montreal

Environment Canada predicted the humidex to reach 43 C on Monday, and warned people with heart and respiratory problems to seek air conditioning and shady areas. (CP PHOTO) (The Canadian Press)

From The CBC:

High heat, humidity and smog warnings remained in effect for the island of Montreal on Monday.

The same warnings also remained in effect for Laval and communities on Montreal's north and south shores, including Lanaudière, Lachute, Saint-Jérôme, Vaudreuil, Soulanges, Huntingdon, Richelieu Valley and Saint-Hyacinthe.

Environment Canada is predicting the humidex will reach 43 C, and warned that people with heart and respiratory problems could see their conditions deteriorate if exposed to the heat and smog.

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Update: High heat and humidity prompt weather warnings -- CTV

My Comment: I just came back from outside .... the weather is humid.

The Heat Is On

From CTV:

Here comes the sun, and with it, the heat.

The city is in the middle of a heat wave, with six straight days of sun and no precipitation.

For three days, the weather is hovering around 30C, about five degrees above the average for this time of year - and no one's complaining.

"It's time, eh? We're on vacation, so it's time to enjoy," said two women on vacation

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As Usual, Weather Is A Good News, Bad News Story

From The Montreal Gazette:

Getting predictions for August is like pulling teeth. How about: 'Who knows?'

The good news? We didn't get anywhere near the record for rain for the month of July. That was 183 millimetres back in 1980.

The bad news? We did set a record for the least hours of sunshine ever recorded for the month just ended.

The Montreal region saw a mere 197 hours of sun as of midnight July 30, easily smashing the previous record of 231 hours in both 1980 and 1992.

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Heavy Rains, Possible Tornado Hits Montreal

Jean-Francois Brunelle waits for a tow truck by his car after driving unto a flooded Cremaze St. at the L'Acadie circle, and partially submerging his car and stalling it, in Montreal, Saturday July 11, 2009. Photograph by: Phil Carpenter, Montreal Gazette

From The Montreal Gazette:

MONTREAL- A burst of extreme weather flooded sections of highways and basements in the Montreal area Saturday and sent a pool and a garage roof flying north of the city during what might have been a tornado.

Torrential rain and thunder struck Montreal late in the afternoon, and by 8 p.m. 36.6 millilmetres had fallen at Trudeau airport, Environment Canada said.

About 3:15 p.m., Jean-François Brunelle’s SUV and two other cars stalled on a section of Crémazie Blvd. at the Acadie Circle, as water flooded their engines and nearly submerged the vehicles.

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Rain, Rain Go Away

From CTV:

It's beginning to be a Montreal tradition: the soggy start to summer.

Last year's summer months were rainy and dreary, with sunny, cloud-free skies at a premium.

Now this year is looking like a weather rerun.

The rain already has counsellors in Verdun suffering from cabin fever, even on the first day of summer camp!

They spent Monday indoors working on activities, but with more rain in the forecast, counsellors like Heidi Wager doubt they can sustain this level of fun.

"If it gets too rainy but no thunder and lightning, we go outside," said wager.

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Winter Weather Will Stay Awhile, Environment Canada Climatogist Says

Pedestrians in Montreal walk on a city sidewalk after a major snowstorm. (CTV File Photo)

From CTV News:

TORONTO — Don't put the snow shovels and parkas away just yet.

Environment Canada says what has been a colder and snowier winter than normal in most of the country will continue for March.

As chief climatologist David Phillips puts it, there won't be a rush to spring and the winter is like the economy - there's no good news.

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Highway 20 Closed After High Winds Flip 2 Trucks, Camper

Bumper-to-bumper traffic on Highway 20 near Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport last night. CREDIT: JOHN KENNEY THE GAZETTE

From CBC News:

Transport Quebec has closed down one of the province's busiest highways southeast of Montreal after two semi-trailers and a camper overturned in high winds.

Highway 20 near Mt. St-Hilaire is closed between kilometres 112 and 120 until further notice.

"The wind is very strong in that area and remains strong," said Nicole Ste-Marie, a spokeswoman for Transport Quebec.

The closure began shortly after 1 p.m.

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Family Hopes Inquiry Will Prevent More Snow Truck Deaths

A 58-year-old woman was crushed to death Sunday morning when a snow plow collided with this Toyota Echo on Route 158 in Joliette. Photo from CTV.

From CBC News:

4 pedestrians have died in 3 separate accidents involving snow trucks this winter.

The family of a Montreal woman who was the first of four people to die this winter after accidents with snow removal equipment hopes a public inquiry called Friday will prevent further deaths.

Rajaa Benkiran, 49, died in mid-December after a snow truck hit her as she walked across Jean Brillant Street in Côte-des-Neiges.

Her son Alami Marrouni Réda said he still has many questions about why his mother died so suddenly.

"Yesterday, I had my 20th birthday … I wanted my mother with me. But unfortunately, because of what happened, she wasn't there," he said.

Quebec's head coroner, Louise Nolet, ordered the public inquiry on Friday. Each of the four deaths that will be put under the microscope involved pedestrians who were swept under the tires of privately-owned snow removal vehicles subcontracted to clean city streets.

Nolet has appointed coroner Jean-Luc Malouin to preside over inquest. No date has been set for the beginning of public hearings.

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Update: Woman killed in highway collision with snow plow -- CTV News

Quebec Snow Tire Law May Be Encouraging Theft

From The CBC:

Three residents of Repentigny reported that winter tires were stolen off their cars this week, police in the community east of Montreal said.

The tires were all stolen in the same neighbourhood on Wednesday night.

The car owners found their vehicles sitting on wooden blocks, said Repentigny police Sgt. Paul Diamond.

Quebec's mandatory winter tire law comes into effect this year, which could help explain the theft, Diamond said.

Garages have reported a surge in sales, possibly creating a black market for tires.

Consumer advocates are warning Quebecers to safeguard their winter tires.

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Ike Making Its Mark Here

From The Montreal Gazette:

After causing billions of dollars in damage in Texas, the remnants of Hurricane Ike were expected to hit Quebec overnight last night and into the morning.

Environment Canada issued a heavy rainfall warning for many parts of the province.

The areas north of the St. Lawrence River, from the Ontario border to the area north of Quebec City, were predicted to get the brunt of the impact and see between 50 and 80 millimetres of rain, said Jean-Pierre Bazinet, a spokesperson for Quebec's public security department.

"We're monitoring the situation very closely," Bazinet said. "We won't know the full impact probably until (this afternoon). The good thing is that we have some room in our rivers, so they may avoid overflowing."

Bazinet said his department is also worried about the potential for landslides.

"The weather has been good the last two weeks, so the soil is dry," he said. "But it may not be able to absorb all the moisture. We'll be crossing our fingers."

Environment Canada meteorologist René Héroux said flooding will depend on whether the rain falls in a short spurt or over a longer period of time.

"We are expecting periods where it is going to be very heavy," he said.

Héroux said the Montreal region will be spared the worst of the storm, with less than 20 millimetres of rain forecast.

By the afternoon, most of the storm will have moved on to Labrador.

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Heat Sets New Record For Montreal Today

From The Gazette:

MONTREAL - After a glorious first week of September, with temperatures well above seasonal norms, Montrealers experienced an almost 15-degree climb in temperatures yesterday, and we smashed a record for the hottest Sept. 5 on record at Trudeau International Airport.

We awoke to a comfortable 17 Celsius but as the skies cleared and the sun beat down, the mercury climbed to its highest point of 32.9C at 3 p.m., surpassing the previous high of 32C set in 1999.

In comparison, we were shivering in our sweaters and long pants back in 1974 when Montreal's then Dorval airport weather station registered a low of 5C.

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Montreal Flooded With Claims After Torrential Summer Downpour

From The Montreal Gazette:

More than 1,000 residents and businesses have filed claims for damages after a torrential rain storm hit Montreal in early August.

The Aug. 2 storm dumped about 30 millimetres of rain in 10 minutes, causing extensive flooding in Anjou and Saint-Leonard, two northeast Montreal boroughs.

The city of Montreal said it has recruited independent disaster experts who will review every claim and determine whether compensation is warranted.

Experts will focus on whether buildings subject to claims conformed with municipal regulations, and whether their sewer pipes were outfitted with security valves to block flooding.

But the Aug. 2 rainstorm was exceptional, said city spokesman Darren Becker.

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