Adedokun Waliyu 
Environment Canada has lifted a near week-long heat warning for Toronto and other parts of the province following several days of scorching hot temperatures and muggy conditions.
Similar heat warnings were lifted in Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and most of Ontario, including Ottawa, as temperatures fell back below 30 C on Friday.
Warnings are still in place for southwestern Ontario, including Hamilton, parts of Halton-Peel, Dufferin-Innisfil, Windsor-Essex-Chatham Kent and Waterloo-Wellington, among other regions. The weather agency says hot and humid temperatures could linger into next week.
The heat warning was first issued in Toronto on Sunday, June 16, when Environment Canada warned of dangerously hot conditions. The city saw temperatures soar above the 30-degree mark from Monday through Thursday, with humidex values reaching the 45 range. The average daytime temperature in Toronto for June is around 24 C.
On Tuesday, a special air quality statement was issued for Toronto and much of the GTA, with Canada’s weather agency citing high levels of air pollution. In response to the heat warning, officials extended hours at 10 outdoor pools across the city.
Thursday marked the official first day of northern astronomical summer for 2024 — Summer Solstice. It marks the longest day and shortest night of the year for the Northern Hemisphere, where the sun reaches its highest position in the sky.
Lingering heat and humidity will cause showers and possible thunderstorms on Friday across much of southern and eastern Ontario.
Temperatures will be around 27 degrees, and the humidity will make it feel more like between 30 and 36. Some storms will be capable of dropping 50 mm of rain in a couple of hours.
