At 4 p.m. Tuesday, Winnipeg claimed a sweltering and surprising title: the hottest major city in the world.
With the temperature reaching 36.4°C at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, Manitoba's capital was hotter than major global hotspots like Managua (Nicaragua), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Dubai (UAE), San Salvador (El Salvador), Kuwait City, and Houston, Texas. While cities in the Middle East were in the middle of the night at that time, it's still an eye-popping stat for the middle of May in Manitoba.
And it’s not just Winnipeg feeling the heat. Several daytime high-temperature records have already fallen across southern Manitoba over the past two days, and more are likely to be broken before this heat wave breaks.
Cooling temperatures and rain ahead
The good news for those who aren't enjoying the heat? A significant cooldown is on the horizon — and it’s bringing rain with it.
After another hot and hazy night Tuesday, with southwest winds gusting up to 60 km/h before shifting north, the temperature will drop to a low of 13°C overnight.
Wednesday brings a mix of sun and cloud with local smoke hanging in the air and a north wind continuing to gust up to 50 km/h. The high will still reach 28°C with a humidex of 29, but change is coming by nightfall.
Clouds will build in the evening, bringing a 60 per cent chance of showers and a risk of thunderstorms overnight. The breeze will lighten and the low will hold steady around 13°C.
Thursday and Friday bring widespread rain to the region, with showers continuing through both days. Thursday’s high will hover around 26°C, but Friday’s forecast calls for a high of just 13°C and temperatures dropping to -1°C by Friday night as cooler air moves in.
The weekend will feel much different from this week's scorcher: Saturday's high is expected to be just 5°C under cloudy skies, before the sun returns Sunday and Monday with highs in the mid-to-high teens.
Fire bans in effect
With dry conditions persisting across much of the province, a fire ban is currently in place for the City of Winnipeg and many rural municipalities in southern Manitoba. Residents are urged to respect local restrictions to reduce the risk of wildfires during this period of extreme heat and wind.