Toronto under heat warning, city opens 24/7 cooling space

A man sun tans at Sugar Beach in Toronto on Friday, July 13, 2012. (Michelle Siu / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A heat warning is in effect for Toronto and much of southern Ontario, with temperatures set to feel like 40 with the humidity.

Environment Canada issued the alert Friday afternoon and said daytime highs of 31 C to 33 C are expected on both Saturday and Sunday.

“Take action to protect yourself and others – extreme heat can affect everyone’s health," the national weather agency said in the alert.

Officials say there will be “little relief” overnight Saturday, when the temperature will only drop to between 21 C and 25 C.

The heat is expected to break Sunday night.

Environment Canada urged the public to stay hydrated, use air conditioning if available, limit direct exposure to the sun and limit outdoor activities to the coolest parts of the day.

This is the second time in as many weeks that Toronto has been under a heat warning.

The city broke a decade-old temperature record on June 23 when the mercury reached 36 C during the three-day event. Toronto Public Health said it saw 42 heat-related ER visits as temperatures soared that week.

Friday’s heat warning is far reaching, and covers Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Mississauga, Brampton, Newmarket, Niagara Falls, Barrie, Burlington, and many other municipalities.

Environment Canada advised to watch out for early signs of heat exhaustion and call 911 if you, or someone around you, is showing signs of heat stroke, including red and hot skin, dizziness, nausea, confusion and change in consciousness.

Toronto opens 24/7 cooling space

The City of Toronto says it will activate the Metro Hall Rotunda as a 24/7 cooling space starting at noon on Saturday until the heat warning is in effect.

Five air-conditioned civic buildings will also be open to the public on extended hours.

The following eight outdoor pools are open this weekend until 11:45 p.m. while the warning is in effect:

• Alex Duff Memorial Pool at Christie Pits Park, 779 Crawford St.
• Fairbank Memorial Swimming Pool, 2213 Dufferin St.
• McGregor Park Community Centre, 2231 Lawrence Ave. E.
• Monarch Park, 115 Felstead Ave.
• North Toronto Memorial Community Centre, 200 Eglinton Ave. W.
• Smithfield Park, 175 Mount Olive Dr.
• Sunnyside Gus Ryder Outdoor Pool, 1755 Lake Shore Blvd West

The city said it will be increasing staff by 30 per cent this weekend to ensure all 54 outdoor pools remain operational. Fans and shade structures have been installed for lifeguards and Toronto paramedics will provide wellness checks to high priority locations, the city added.

In a news release, Hamilton’s medical officer of health said the city is responding by offering so-called “cool places” to go during the heat wave, the locations of which can be found here.