Intense heat building this week could affect parts of Canada
Another major heat wave south of the border could send steamy temperatures surging into parts of Canada again this week
Searing summer heat will continue through the end of July across the western U.S., occasionally sending spells of unseasonably hot conditions north into Canada.
The repetitive heat waves south of the border mimic the ongoing crises in Europe, where extreme heat and wildfires combined have taken a toll on hard-hit regions.
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A summer of extreme heat rolls ahead as we close out July. Widespread heat warnings continued on the southern Prairies this weekend as the region felt the influence of a formidable stateside heat ridge.
The temperature in Phoenix, Arizona, only dipped to 36.1°C (97°F) for two consecutive mornings on July 24 and July 25, tying the record for the warmest overnight minimum reading ever observed in the city.
Before setting the overnight low temperature record for the second day in a row, the midnight reading in Phoenix was still a whopping 41.6°C (107°F). Records there date back to the mid-1890s.
We’ll see yet another round of exceptionally hot temperatures build into this upcoming week as a new ridge of high pressure blooms over the western U.S.
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Daytime highs of 40-45°C (104-113°F) will be common throughout the desert southwest by the end of the week, including in Las Vegas and Phoenix. Much of California’s Central Valley could see a multi-day stretch of high temperatures at or above 40°C (104°F).
This heat wave will extend its reach into portions of Western Canada as we make our way through the week.
A sustained stretch of daytime highs in the 30s will be common from the British Columbia Interior east through the southern Prairies. Some communities, such as Medicine Hat, could make a run at the upper 30s by the end of the week.
The ongoing heat could exacerbate wildfire conditions on both sides of the border. Numerous significant fires continued this weekend in the B.C. Interior, while blazes raging throughout portions of the western U.S. have sent additional smoke drifting into Western Canada.