Ottawa is in the midst of the third heatwave so far this summer, and according to a climate expert, it’ll only get hotter from here. CBC’s Aya Dufour finds out how residents feel about this, and what the city is doing to prepare.

Ottawa

Ottawa is facing unusually high temperatures, with recent heatwaves pushing the mercury seven degrees above historical averages. This summer has already seen more than double the usual number of days above 30 degrees Celsius, and projections suggest this trend will intensify, potentially reaching 57 such days annually by mid-century.

Residents are expressing concern about the increasing heat, noting the challenges it poses, especially for those working outdoors. In response, the city is advancing its climate resiliency strategy, focusing on expanding green spaces, increasing public drinking fountains, and introducing misting stations. The strategy aims to help Ottawa adapt to the growing risks associated with extreme heat.

Hot Ottawa weather may be the new normal

It's yet another heatwave in Ottawa and many are hitting the local waterways to cool down. And while this hot and sunny weather is perfect for a swim, it's also indicative of how much the planet is heating up. The temperature Monday is seven degrees higher than the historical average. So far this summer there were nine days above 30 degrees in Ottawa. Usually the city gets about four of those per summer and it'll only get hotter from here. We'll be looking to about 57 days above 30 degrees Celsius by the middle of the century. Today people are enjoying the hot temperature, but some say this is getting close to the limit of what they can handle. I don't know if I want it to get hotter than it is, but it's good for now. Global warming is definitely very scary and very real and it's happening. Obviously we can see that temperatures are rising all the time so it is a little bit concerning. I hope it doesn't get more hot because that would be a lot. This resident usually swims a couple times a week during the summer. He says if the trend continues, he'll be swimming every day. I just see the temperature increasing every year. I don't complain I can come here, but for sure for other people it will be very hard and difficult. Especially the people that have to work outside. These sisters have also been in and out of the water all day. The last two days have just been a little bit unbearable in the city. It seems to just keep getting worse every summer that I've lived here. The city is working on its climate resiliency strategy, a plan on how to tackle the increasingly hot summer days. So extreme heat of course is not surprisingly one of the top risks that we're looking at. Her job involves looking at ways Ottawa can build to make the city cooler. The city is already putting a lot of effort into our tree planting strategy and greening because we know that green spaces are cool spaces. We are looking at ways to increase the number of public drinking fountains and also to introduce things like misting stations. That climate change strategy is set to be finalized by the end of the year. This latest heat wave is expected to break on Tuesday night. Aya Dsfour, CBC News, Ottawa.

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