Ontario temperature records broken as unseasonable warmth hits the province

Temperatures are soaring across Ontario with Toronto breaking a daily record and other cities poised to follow suit.

The temperature in Hamilton today broke Environment Canada’s highest record.

While cracking 11 C by 10 a.m. at Toronto Pearson International Airport, busting a daily record set on the same day in 1938, when it reached a high of 10.6 C.

It’s the latest record to fall across Canada, where forecasters had warned a strong global El Nino climate pattern paired with the effects of human-caused climate change was expected to lead to a warmer winter.

Dave Phillips from Environment Canada says today’s temperature was about 15 degrees warmer than what we expect to normally see.

Environment Canada meteorologist Peter Kimbell says it was nearly 5 degrees warmer than average in December and 3.4 degrees above average last month in Toronto.

Knollwood Golf Club in Hamilton opened for the first time today in February because of the warmer weather. In past years the golf club has opened in December and in January, but February is a novelty for them.

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In Burlington’s Spencer Smith Park people enjoyed the warm weather, some even brought out their wind surfing equipment to enjoy Lake Ontario. Although the majority of people did take the opportunity to bring out the sweaters and put away the winter coats.

Kimbell says London, Windsor and Ottawa were among the other cities flirting with daily records, as unseasonable warmth brings far-reaching effects across the province.

The Niagara region also saw some of the warmest temperatures in the area.

According to Environment Canada Climatologist David Philips, the warm weather is the result of an atmospheric river system on the west coast of the United States.

Read More: Parts of Hamilton, surrounding areas under flood watch due to overnight rain and rising temperatures

The system brought rain and a bit of snow to the Prairies, but warm from the Southern part of the United States and bringing the warm temperatures.

An organization representing First Nations across northern Ontario declared a state of emergency this week because of impassable winter roads, which communities depend on for deliveries of fuels, food supplies and construction materials.

Made with files from the Canadian Press.