Manitoba heat records fall over scorching weekend

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This article was published 05/06/2023 (869 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While Sunday was a scorcher, it was a sweaty Saturday that edged out decades-long temperature records across the province.

In Winnipeg, June 3 temperatures hit a high of 33.2 C, breaking the old record of 32.8 C logged in 1968, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The capital was one of seven centres across Manitoba that made heat history, including Dominion City and Emerson hitting 33.5 C — 0.2 degrees over both the previous records from 1968.

The Fisher Branch area was 32.7 C at its hottest, beating out the old record of 31.1 C set in 1961 (just one year after records were first kept in the area).

Norway House’s old record temperature for the day was 27.4 C in 1991. On Saturday, it got up to 31.6 C.

In Pinawa, 32.1 C is the new record, topping 30.5 C in 1988. Pine Falls marked 30.6 C — 0.6 degrees higher than the prior 1988 record.

Sunday also broke a record in Berens River (32.2 C, well-above 29.7 C in 1988).

Even if the next few days don’t do the same, they will still be very hot, Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist Natalie Hasell said Monday.

“That is ongoing, and we are expecting that to continue today, tonight, tomorrow, depending on where you are in the province, Wednesday could also see rather hot conditions,” she said.

“Then we get a bit of a break, being relative, of course, because it’s still well above normal but not near warning criteria… Then we start to see temperatures climb back up again, maybe starting on Sunday (June 11) and persisting for the next several days.”

The seasonal forecast, which looks at the next three months, was issued May 31. It suggests most of Manitoba will have above-normal temperatures throughout.

It’s too early to say how often and how above normal, Hasell said, but noted people have time to learn what to do during extreme heat: focus on eating foods full of water (such as fruits and vegetables), refrain from exercising outdoors on hotter days, keep an eye on loved ones more vulnerable to the heat, take breaks if you’re working outdoors, and find places (such as shopping centres or libraries) to keep cool if you don’t have air conditioning at home or are in a precarious housing situation.

“It’s the beginning of June. Typically, using the 1981-2010 Canadian climate normals, June sees 2.5 days at temperatures of 30 degrees or warmer. Well, We’ve already had four,” Hasell said.

“So that does not bode well. So I hope people are prepared to deal with heat, because it’s very possible that it will be a thing.”

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca