Southern Manitoba is in for an extended stretch of warm and sunny weather, with temperatures on the rise and little chance of rain in the forecast.
Chris Stammers, meteorologist with Environment Canada, says the region has been enjoying comfortable conditions in the low to mid 20s, but that will change as we move further into the week.
“We're looking at temperatures in the mid 20s and then sort of by the middle of next week into next weekend, we're going to be pushing 30 degrees, if not into the low 30s,” says Stammers. “So very warm and very, I guess, pleasant conditions on the way.”
Mild winds, but dry conditions a concern
While winds are expected to remain relatively light, some southerly gusts may pick up slightly Monday evening into Tuesday. A shift to westerly winds is possible later in the week, but overall, Stammers says Manitoba is not expected to see strong winds in the coming days.
The bigger concern, he notes, is the continued lack of precipitation.
“We're not really seeing any change coming here, unfortunately, in terms of precipitation,” he says. “It's kind of a worst-case scenario for the forest fire situation. We're going to remain pretty hot and dry into probably the beginning of June.”
With no significant rainfall expected for at least the next 7 to 10 days, southern Manitoba is facing very dry conditions and low relative humidity. That could spell trouble for wildfire risk, even though calmer winds may help slightly reduce the danger.
Heat and air quality could be issues
Looking ahead, Stammers says there’s a slight chance temperatures could challenge records by the end of the month, although most records for this time of year are in the mid-30s and may still be out of reach. At this time, southern Manitoba is forecast to have high temperatures of 35C to 37C for Friday and Saturday.
The combination of rising temperatures and dry conditions may lead to weather alerts being issued.
“Certainly some potential for some heat warnings coming and certainly the air quality advisories,” he says. “Between heat and air quality, those will be the two main issues over the coming week to 10 days over the province.”