April 13, 2023 at 7:32 pm
Unusually warm temperatures in the region led to record highs on Thursday.
A warm air high-pressure system from the southern United States is causing summer-like temperatures in southwestern Ontario. In some cases, temperature records have fallen.
Chatham-Kent recorded a new high of 24.8 degrees Celsius on April 13, according to hourly readings collected by Environment Canada on Thursday. However, Chatham-Kent’s extreme high-low statistics only go back to 2019. The day’s reading will be 17.6 C in 2022.
In Sarnia-Lambton, the temperature at Chris Hadfield Airport hit 28.1C at 5pm, beating the previous record of 22.6C set in 2006 when records began for the region.
Temperature records were also down in central and western Ontario. In Owen Sound, the highest temperature of the day was 6pm, with a reading of 24.5C at Wiarton Airport, breaking the previous record of 22.6C set in 1968. In Wingham, the maximum temperature was 26.2C, beating the previous record of 20.5C set in 2015.
Records for the entire region were not broken, though. Windsor-Essex recorded a high of 27 degrees just after Windsor Airport at 4pm. With a record of 29.4 C set on April 13, set in 1941, the mark will remain safe for a year.
In London-Middlesex, the highest temperature of the day was reached just after 3pm, with 27.4C reported at London International Airport. The record there, also in 1941, was 28.9 C.
Environment Canada meteorologist Jeff Coulson said warmer temperatures will persist around Friday and Saturday before returning to reality.
“That’s expected to continue into Friday,” Coulson said Wednesday. “Saturday was a low 20 degrees and then we finally started to see higher seasonal temperatures on Sunday and next week.”