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Personally, I felt Montreal to be the most humid, also less breezy than Toronto.
They all have very similar summers
I guess the slightly higher humidity in Montreal/Ottawa and the slightly higher temperature in Toronto (very slight, talking decimal places I believe) make for summers that are pretty much 100% equal between them. Although I don't know if it's true, I've heard that heat waves and days with extreme temperatures (34 degrees and above with humidex) is more frequent and feel more painful and hotter in Toronto than they do in Montreal/Ottawa. Is this true?
Are all people from the tropics, north/central Europe or Americas? You left out like 75% of world population.
People from most of East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan) etc won't find Toronto summer hot. People from most of of the Middle East won't find Toronto summer hot. People from South Asia (India, Pakistan etc) won't find Toronto summer hot. And people from most of Africa/Australia won't find Toronto summer hot either. That's like 60% of the world population.
People in Spain, Greece and Italy won't find Toronto hot. Last week, southern France was about 35-38C, so a big part of France won't think Toronto summer is that hot either.
In reality, only probably less than 10% of the people in the world would find Toronto "hot and humid" compared with where they originally live.
You use the point out that the S. of France had 35-38C temps recently (a heat wave for them) like the S. interior of BC this month these regions are drier / lower humidity in summer allowing for higher maximum temps. It is also possible for Toronto to get to those temperatures (higher end of the scale) but add in the humidity..the southern third/ lower altitude parts of France the summer temps are very comparable (minus the humidity) to Toronto averages, apart from the Cote d'Azur, a narrow strip along the Mediterranean coastline average a couple of degrees higher.
East Asia is very humid more consistently in summer, also very wet & cloudy (& smoggy) in comparison to Toronto. But a lot of other places around the world with slighter hotter summer weather are much drier than Toronto, so the effective feel would be different.
Much of the populated world is 'hotter' because a great majority of the people are located much closer to the equator, or at least in the 20s/30s north latitudes & on top of that these locations do not get close to -10C winters & most would be at least be located in sub-tropical regions ... so the point is more about that it can get quite hot & humid in Toronto despite freezing winters.
You're possibly right that not even 10% of the world’s population would find summers in Toronto to be very warm & humid compared to where they are from. But easily another 10% would find them similar in the sense of temps/feel. On the hotter days it can feel equally as hot as tropical regions, in Chicago & NYC to the south with heat/humidity combo this is the case even more so. In a drier northern (or southern climate) it will not feel alike to humid, tropical regions even when its hot.
I do agree it seems strange when EC posts heat warnings when the temp hits 32C (89F) that’s the average july day temp for Baltimore, only a few hundred miles to the south. with A/C almost everywhere now I think the bar should (35c-95F) for a heat warning to be issued - opinion only.
Spent some time in the summer in Toronto and yeah it was muggy but no comparison to the southern USA in heat/humidity combo. I do have to say that when you combine freezing in winter and muggy in summer, there's not much to like about that Toronto climate.
They can be quite hot and humid, yes, especially during heatwaves (temperatures of 30C*+, not including humidex are becoming increasingly common). Toronto is generally humid and muggy, which can he uncomfortable for many people, even when temps are below 30. Visitors from the Southeast and East Coast of the US up to NYC won't find TO to be unusually hot and humid, but visitors from much of Europe, Central Canada, and BC do often find the summer heat uncomfortable. Having travelled across the Southern US, NYC, Florida, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, I can say that Toronto on its hottest, most humid days isn't much more comfortable than these locales on their hottest days.
Climate change is definitely making Toronto summers hotter in general, with heatwaves of 30+ being a regular occurence and sometimes lasting weeks. Furthermore, the cooling late-afternoon thunderstorms we used to get after especially hot and humid days are not nearly as frequent as they used to be. Dry spells with day-after-day of cloudless skies and high temperatures and humidity can make it quite uncomfortable to be outside from 9-5.
At the same time, we have summers like this one, which has been quite cool and wet. Very few days above 30*, and lots of cloud cover to take the edge of the summer sun. The previous few years were abnormally hot, with scarcely a day I didn't have to run the AC 24/7.
They can be quite hot and humid, yes, especially during heatwaves (temperatures of 30C*+, not including humidex are becoming increasingly common). Toronto is generally humid and muggy, which can he uncomfortable for many people, even when temps are below 30. Visitors from the Southeast and East Coast of the US up to NYC won't find TO to be unusually hot and humid, but visitors from much of Europe, Central Canada, and BC do often find the summer heat uncomfortable. Having travelled across the Southern US, NYC, Florida, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, I can say that Toronto on its hottest, most humid days isn't much more comfortable than these locales on their hottest days.
Climate change is definitely making Toronto summers hotter in general, with heatwaves of 30+ being a regular occurence and sometimes lasting weeks. Furthermore, the cooling late-afternoon thunderstorms we used to get after especially hot and humid days are not nearly as frequent as they used to be. Dry spells with day-after-day of cloudless skies and high temperatures and humidity can make it quite uncomfortable to be outside from 9-5.
At the same time, we have summers like this one, which has been quite cool and wet. Very few days above 30*, and lots of cloud cover to take the edge of the summer sun. The previous few years were abnormally hot, with scarcely a day I didn't have to run the AC 24/7.
There are very few people living in BC, Central Canada or Northern Europe. It is probably less than 1% of world population, and I don't know why you give these people so much weight. Here in France for example, it will be 33-36C for the entire next week. So your "much of Europe" is really not much.
This summer sounds a typical Toronto summer. Don't forget the average high in July is less than 27C. It is a statistical fact. I lived in Toronto for 8 years and I need the AC for about 5 days a year on average. If I had a fan, I would be totally fine without it.
by the way, 30C is not a "heatwave". 35+ for days is.
There are very few people living in BC, Central Canada or Northern Europe. It is probably less than 1% of world population, and I don't know why you give these people so much weight. Here in France for example, it will be 33-36C for the entire next week. So your "much of Europe" is really not much.
This summer sounds a typical Toronto summer. Don't forget the average high in July is less than 27C. It is a statistical fact. I lived in Toronto for 8 years and I need the AC for about 5 days a year on average. If I had a fan, I would be totally fine without it.
by the way, 30C is not a "heatwave". 35+ for days is.
Summer heat waves aside (this has been a much hotter than average summer for much of Europe, like it was here last year) France is not considered a hot weather country, not counting a few overseas dependencies.
Like Canada, even the hottest places in Provence or Occitanie average around 30C Max in July/August. These regions have low humidity & near constant sunshine in those months. A good part of France can get temperatures above 40C only during extreme hot weather, similar again to many places in southern Canada which is a colder weather country during winter.
Statistical fact: The average July mean temp in Toronto is warmer (on average) than about 80% of France’s land area & additionally it’s far more humid. At temperatures above the lower 20s C (72F), more saturated air feels warmer. I have spent significant time in a tropical climate & I can tell you that on the hotter days in Toronto feels similar with high cumulus clouds, noticable humidity, low wind speeds. during hotter summers this weather can continue for weeks or in some years, a good part of the time over a few months span. even in milder summer years such as this year, humid warmth is still present much of the time just not as intense.
That you didn’t find it that hot or more on the discussion point, humid, during summer in the years you lived in Toronto, that’s your personal observation, most posting on this topic seem to disagree with you.
Do agree that 35C (95F) should be the threshold in a mid-latitude climate for it to be deemed a heat wave.
So does Toronto have the most humid climate in Canada during the summer besides the Windsor area? Or does that title go to the eastern Ontario/Quebec area? I would assume since Toronto is close to Windsor that it and the entire southern Ontario region would experience the most humid heat in the country. Also would this make Toronto the hottest major city in Canada in the summer?
So does Toronto have the most humid climate in Canada during the summer besides the Windsor area? Or does that title go to the eastern Ontario/Quebec area? I would assume since Toronto is close to Windsor that it and the entire southern Ontario region would experience the most humid heat in the country. Also would this make Toronto the hottest major city in Canada in the summer?
For a major Cdn city, Toronto has the highest average summer temperatures with moderate humidity. For smaller cities, Windsor takes it, Burlington (40 min drive SW of Toronto) is a close 2nd. In general, anywhere in Southwestern Ontario (Essex County, Chatham, south of Sarnia) or wrapping around Lake Ontario - from west end Toronto/Brantford/ Hamilton/St. Kitts/ Niagara Falls etc (not incl areas within a couple of km of the shoreline) are the most humid & warm parts of Canada in summer. Not all summer days are sticky, there can be short periods of drier (but never very dry) conditions.
Montreal, Cornwall, Ottawa have similar summer conditions, they end a little earlier season, are wetter on average & can also be very humid at times with low wind speeds.
They can be quite hot and humid, yes, especially during heatwaves (temperatures of 30C*+, not including humidex are becoming increasingly common). Toronto is generally humid and muggy, which can he uncomfortable for many people, even when temps are below 30. Visitors from the Southeast and East Coast of the US up to NYC won't find TO to be unusually hot and humid, but visitors from much of Europe, Central Canada, and BC do often find the summer heat uncomfortable. Having travelled across the Southern US, NYC, Florida, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, I can say that Toronto on its hottest, most humid days isn't much more comfortable than these locales on their hottest days.
Climate change is definitely making Toronto summers hotter in general, with heatwaves of 30+ being a regular occurence and sometimes lasting weeks. Furthermore, the cooling late-afternoon thunderstorms we used to get after especially hot and humid days are not nearly as frequent as they used to be. Dry spells with day-after-day of cloudless skies and high temperatures and humidity can make it quite uncomfortable to be outside from 9-5.
At the same time, we have summers like this one, which has been quite cool and wet. Very few days above 30*, and lots of cloud cover to take the edge of the summer sun. The previous few years were abnormally hot, with scarcely a day I didn't have to run the AC 24/7.
32C, not 30C. 30C is just slightly above normal(28C). The average high in Toronto in July, 2020 is 30.4C, although last summer was hotter than the average, but Toronto usually experienced 14 days (2 weeks) of 31C+ each year on average.
According to Environment Canada, a heat wave is defined as several days with temperatures of 32° C or higher.
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