Toronto weather never fails to surprise me, not even with its topsy-turvy weather system, possibly since I’ve anticipated nothing short of a spectacle from the skies most of the time. The alerts and heat wave warnings of the past few hours are ample proof of the abnormally balmy summer lying ahead! For a start, it was a particularly hot and humid Father’s Day on Sunday and the sultry wave persisted on Monday as well. When I checked the weather in the morning it was feeling like 39°C, though in a few hours, the complexion of the system changed and there was a thunderstorm with heavy showers. This was as chaotic as a Toronto weather could be. And talking about summer, it might come as a rude shock but the sunlight in this part of the world isn’t the same as in the tropics or India, in fact, it gets brutal due to Canada’s geographical proximity to the north pole.
Put in a nutshell, it’s not about the amount of sunlight you receive but the UV radiation which it transmits that causes skin damage including cancer. So when you move up north and nearer to the Arctic circle, you are closer to the ozone layer which is damaged owing to ‘climate change’ (the same with Antartica). The one way to protect against the Sun’s intense heat in the north pole and the direct exposure to the UV rays is by covering yourself and applying sunscreen generously during summers. This is even more critical for someone close to where I am in comparison to the deserts of UAE, although I wouldn’t dare challenge the Sun anywhere without copious protection. Besides, I learned this frighteningly quickly that I need to check the UV Index before stepping out. I am already sweating thinking about the next few months!
No surprise that heat warnings and special weather statements blanket southern Ontario today. Stay safe in this heat! pic.twitter.com/KsaJTP0Eut
— Michelle Mackey TWN (@michellemackey) June 18, 2018
