Record-high temperature in Hamilton makes it Canada’s hot spot

Hamilton | Community | Health | Latest News | Weather |

By

Published March 17, 2022 at 8:57 pm

Hamiltonians felt the pleasanter short-term effects of climate change on Thursday, when the city had the warmest weather in Canada during the course of experiencing a record-high temperature.

Environment and Climate Change Canada hourly reports, which would be verified tomorrow, show that the temperature rose more than 20 C in a 10-hour span. It hit the mid-teens by 12 noon. Eventually, the temperature recorded at Hamilton International Airport reached 19.5C at 5 p.m., which is above the previous high for March 17 of 16C that was reached in 2003 and ’10. Partly cloudy conditions helped contain the humidity, allowing residents to get out and enjoy the day after a long winter.

The federal weather ministry also showed that Hamilton was the warmest place in Canada. At last report at 8 p.m., it was 16.5C in the city, which was the warmest temperature in the nation.

Twelve hours earlier at 8 a.m., the recorded temperature was minus-1.6C. And, of course, just four days ago, there were below-freezing temperatures and snow flurries in Hamilton while the NHL Heritage Classic outdoor hockey game was staged at Tim Hortons Field.

Whether that high temperature is a record is a matter of debate. Weather historian Rolf Campbell said that the records he keeps show that 77 years ago, on March 17, 1945, the temperature reached 20.6C in Hamilton. Two other facts that Campbell cited is that Hamilton had the largest three-hour temperature rise in more than a year, when it went from 0.3C at 9 a.m. to an even 13C at noon. The first day of the year where the temperature hits 19C is usually around April 11, which is more than three weeks away.

Extreme weather fluctuations can have health effects. For instance, in 2018, a University of Michigan-led study by cardiology researchers in Michigan recently linked wild day-to-day changes in temperatures to a significant increase in heart attacks. Such findings illustrate the potential harm that a warming planet may have on human health.

The distinct geography of Hamilton, which is  situated alongg Burlington Bay and Lake Ontario, and around and on the Niagara Escarpment, helps foster a unique climate. There are often wide variances in local weather conditions from one part of the sprawling city to the next. Residents in the more densely populated areas of the city that have relatively little tree canopy also experience what is known as a heat island effect.

While it was a great day to break out the shorts and feel summery, some Hamilton-based Twitter users also called out the behaviour of motorists who use fossil fuel-burning vehicles. Residents made note of cars parked in bicycle lanes and motorcyclists travelling at excessive speeds on Main Street, which is a one-way throughfare through the lower city.

Three years ago, Hamilton city council declared at a climate crisis in Hamilton is 10 days away. It falls on March 27.

In the meantime, though, the daytime highs for the next four days fall into the 8 to 10 C range. They will slip down toward freezing next week.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising