Sunday’s scorching hot temperatures broke several weather records around Manitoba. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), this past weekend saw seven local communities experience their hottest July 12 on record. This includes Carberry at 34.7 C and Greta at 35.8, which both beat previous heat records set in 1969. ECCC reports Fisher Branch hit a new record of 33.9 C, besting its record of 32 C set in 1979. Meanwhile, Grand Rapids and Portage la Prairie eked out new records with temperatures of 32.9 C and 35.7 C, respectively. Both of their previous records were less than one degree colder. Larger temperature jumps were seen in McCreary and Shoal Lake. McCreary reached 36.5 C, besting its 1979 record of 32 C, while Shoal Lake hit 32.9 C, up from its 1964 record of 29.4. Along with the new records, the weather agency is also reporting that Gillam, Gimli, Kleefeld and Swan River tied their previous heat records for July 12. The full report is available online. Summer Hydro usage record It wasn’t just temperature records being set, Manitoba Hydro said electricity usage yesterday set a record. At 7 p.m. Sunday, the electricity demand peaked at 3,507 MW. That is the highest usage recorded in July, beating the previous record of 3,461 MW set on July 2, 2021. It still came up just short of the overall summer usage record of 3,529 MW that was set on June 6, 2023. Even though that feels like a high number, the usage comes nowhere close to the all-time record set just last year. On Jan. 20, 2025, usage spiked at 5,111.3 MW. “Manitoba is a winter-peaking region, so the greatest energy demand comes when it is coldest,” a Hydro spokesperson said.
