- Oct 10, 1999
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20050713/ca_pr_on_na/heat_wave
SHANNON MONTGOMERY Wed Jul 13, 6:59 PM ET
TORONTO (CP) - Canada's most populous province continued to wilt under heavy smog and record-setting temperatures that touched 34 C on Wednesday as officials considered calling a coroner's inquest into one of four deaths being blamed on the heat.
"It's almost a Guinness book of weather records," David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said of the heat wave. "It takes a lot to make me shake my head, but this one has really surprised me over the last few weeks."
Ontario broke "all kinds of records" for weather last month, Phillips said - not only was it the hottest June on record, but the number of smog-alert days set a record as well.
And the records, which are likely to fall again at the end of the month if the heat persists, aren't just being broken, he added - they're being shattered.
"In my business, you break records by a few flakes of snow," Phillips laughed.
"We're seeing twice as many (days that exceed 30 C) as in a normal year, and we're not even into the dog days of summer yet."
Ontario is not alone in feeling the heat.
Meteorologist Peter Kimball said Montreal has been blasted for much of July and areas of northern Quebec around James Bay also hit record-setting temperatures Tuesday.
In many places, the heat and humidity are also combining with heavy smog to make the air almost unbreathable - so far this summer the province has had nine smog advisories covering 36 days, said John Steele, a spokesman with the Ontario Ministry of Environment.
As people drive more and blast air conditioners to escape the heat, the smog just gets worse, Steele noted.
Power demand in Ontario hit a record of 26,160 megawatts Wednesday, breaking the previous high of 26,157 megawatts set June 27.
The heat and smog have also proven deadly.
At least four deaths in the city are considered related to the heat wave, and that's likely just a fraction of the true number of people who have died as a result of the temperature, said Dr. James Edwards, the regional supervising coroner for Toronto East.
One of those deaths could lead to a closer investigation, he added.
"We would certainly consider calling an inquest," Edwards said. "If we can identify problems, we can look at whether there are solutions that are readily apparent."
A study released by Toronto's medical officer of health last month found an average of 120 people die prematurely of heat-related causes each year, while 822 die from smog. This year, those numbers could be even higher, officials warned.
A similar study by public health officials in Montreal two years ago showed that fatalities start to mount when temperatures exceed 33 C for 3 consecutive days, said spokeswoman Deborah Bonney.
"During these periods, we found that deaths more than doubled from a normal average of 40 deaths recorded a day to an average of 100 deaths a day," Bonney said.
Phillips said the weather is the result of a large high pressure area called a Bermuda high that's hovering over the province, pushing all other weather, including systems containing rain and more temperate conditions.
As a result, instead of an ideal "Goldilocks summer" with varied highs and lows, the temperatures have been unwavering and, for many, unbearable.
"It's no different than living in Savannah, Georgia or Miami Beach - the only difference is that the air is dirtier" because it picks up pollution from almost 200 coal-fired generating plants as it makes its way up to Canada, said Phillips.
With a cooler front expected next week, temporary relief is on the way, although it's too early to relax, Phillips warned: Ontario on the cusp of what is traditionally the hottest period of the summer, starting July 17.
Yikes.
SHANNON MONTGOMERY Wed Jul 13, 6:59 PM ET
TORONTO (CP) - Canada's most populous province continued to wilt under heavy smog and record-setting temperatures that touched 34 C on Wednesday as officials considered calling a coroner's inquest into one of four deaths being blamed on the heat.
"It's almost a Guinness book of weather records," David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said of the heat wave. "It takes a lot to make me shake my head, but this one has really surprised me over the last few weeks."
Ontario broke "all kinds of records" for weather last month, Phillips said - not only was it the hottest June on record, but the number of smog-alert days set a record as well.
And the records, which are likely to fall again at the end of the month if the heat persists, aren't just being broken, he added - they're being shattered.
"In my business, you break records by a few flakes of snow," Phillips laughed.
"We're seeing twice as many (days that exceed 30 C) as in a normal year, and we're not even into the dog days of summer yet."
Ontario is not alone in feeling the heat.
Meteorologist Peter Kimball said Montreal has been blasted for much of July and areas of northern Quebec around James Bay also hit record-setting temperatures Tuesday.
In many places, the heat and humidity are also combining with heavy smog to make the air almost unbreathable - so far this summer the province has had nine smog advisories covering 36 days, said John Steele, a spokesman with the Ontario Ministry of Environment.
As people drive more and blast air conditioners to escape the heat, the smog just gets worse, Steele noted.
Power demand in Ontario hit a record of 26,160 megawatts Wednesday, breaking the previous high of 26,157 megawatts set June 27.
The heat and smog have also proven deadly.
At least four deaths in the city are considered related to the heat wave, and that's likely just a fraction of the true number of people who have died as a result of the temperature, said Dr. James Edwards, the regional supervising coroner for Toronto East.
One of those deaths could lead to a closer investigation, he added.
"We would certainly consider calling an inquest," Edwards said. "If we can identify problems, we can look at whether there are solutions that are readily apparent."
A study released by Toronto's medical officer of health last month found an average of 120 people die prematurely of heat-related causes each year, while 822 die from smog. This year, those numbers could be even higher, officials warned.
A similar study by public health officials in Montreal two years ago showed that fatalities start to mount when temperatures exceed 33 C for 3 consecutive days, said spokeswoman Deborah Bonney.
"During these periods, we found that deaths more than doubled from a normal average of 40 deaths recorded a day to an average of 100 deaths a day," Bonney said.
Phillips said the weather is the result of a large high pressure area called a Bermuda high that's hovering over the province, pushing all other weather, including systems containing rain and more temperate conditions.
As a result, instead of an ideal "Goldilocks summer" with varied highs and lows, the temperatures have been unwavering and, for many, unbearable.
"It's no different than living in Savannah, Georgia or Miami Beach - the only difference is that the air is dirtier" because it picks up pollution from almost 200 coal-fired generating plants as it makes its way up to Canada, said Phillips.
With a cooler front expected next week, temporary relief is on the way, although it's too early to relax, Phillips warned: Ontario on the cusp of what is traditionally the hottest period of the summer, starting July 17.
Yikes.
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