A major heat wave is set to sweep across much of Canada this week, bringing the first prolonged stretch of summer-like temperatures to parts of the Prairies. Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are expected to experience several days of intense heat, with temperatures climbing above 32 C in some areas.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, cities such as Regina and Saskatoon could see temperatures above 30 C from Tuesday through Saturday, and possibly into Sunday.
In Manitoba, the hottest conditions are expected to arrive Thursday, mainly affecting the southern regions. Brandon and Winnipeg are forecast to hit 30 C or higher, while the heat is also expected to extend farther north into communities like The Pas and Flin Flon.
Alberta is also warming up quickly. Medicine Hat is forecast to see temperatures above 30 C this week, along with rising humidity and the possibility of thunderstorms.
David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, described the upcoming conditions as a major heat event.
“In Winnipeg, for example, when you’re talking about 36 degrees come … Wednesday, I mean, that’s 15 degrees warmer than what it should be,” he said.
Phillips pointed out that the sudden heat follows an unusually cool stretch of weather across the Prairies.
“In many areas, the eastern Prairies still have ice on the lakes and in the rivers,” Phillips said. “I mean, somebody joked that the fishing time on the May long weekend was more ice fishing than just regular fishing. So it really has been a slow, slow coming.”
He added that the region has been dealing with dramatic temperature swings throughout the season.
“It really does show you that this coolness that we’ve had — this back and forth, this whiplash kind of weather, where, my gosh, it’s been cold, and then it’s been a heat, and then back into the cold, where you’ve got frost following heat waves,” Phillips said. “I mean, it’s just been all mixed up, and certainly the situation looks like it’s going to change.”
The Weather Network is also warning that humidex values could make conditions feel even hotter.
The abrupt shift comes after a cooler-than-average spring across much of Canada, especially in the Prairies. Phillips noted that Winnipeg recorded temperatures 2.5 C below normal in March, 3 C below normal in April, and 2.2 C below normal in May.
“So this is going to be almost going from winterish kind of conditions to really the dog days of summer kind of conditions at the end of May, and that’s going to be very abrupt,” he said.
While many people may welcome warmer weather after a long and chilly spring, the cooler conditions did have one benefit — a lower wildfire risk so far this year.
Phillips noted that by this point last year, wildfires had burned more than 315,000 hectares of forest. This year, the total area burned so far stands at 16,808 hectares.
Still, officials warn that rising temperatures and possible thunderstorms could increase the wildfire threat in the coming weeks.
Phillips also linked the dramatic weather patterns to broader climate shifts.
“What we’re seeing with climate change is that it’s changing the circulation pattern. And the thing that must frustrate a lot of people who are deniers or skeptics, they say, ‘Yeah, well, why are we having this cold winter?'” he said. “Well, the point is that sometimes global warming can create a colder winter, because you’re getting more of this Arctic circulation coming south.”
As temperatures rise, The Weather Network is advising people to take precautions by staying hydrated, limiting direct sun exposure, and using air conditioning whenever possible. It is also encouraging people to check in on vulnerable neighbours, friends, and older adults during the heat wave.
