Seemingly unrelenting hot, dry weather is starting to take its toll on the region and the people that live in it.
Communities like Pembroke (under an open fire ban) and Perth (asking residents to save water) are some of the areas taking measures against the weather conditions.
The City of Ottawa also issued a heat warning for Friday and Saturday, with humidity making temperatures feel above 40 C.
A random, unseasonably warm period in late March is, in retrospect, seeming to be a preview of a summer where umbrellas have been stashed in favour of sunscreen and portable fans.
“Right now we’re seeing about a 25 to 30 per cent increase (in air conditioner sales) over last year at this time,” said John Holtom of Top Hat Home Comfort Services.
“On certain days when it’s really humid, the a/c really helps to take the humidity out of the air,” said Walter Kelly.
Others tried to beat the heat by heading to Ottawa’s Mooney’s Bay beach.
“We're all off for the summer with our kids, and thought it would be nice to come on a hot day and spend the day at the beach,” said Heidi Hlohinec.
“I actually really like the heat a lot,” said another beachgoer. “Going in the water is good too.”
Peter Bailey said he wasn’t letting the weather stop him from an 80-kilometre bike ride.
“As long as you're riding along it creates a bit of a breeze,” he said. “It’s only warm when I stop.”
Health officials don’t recommend a lot of physical activity on hot days like Thursday, saying people should stay in the shade or in air conditioning and drink plenty of water.
You can lose as many as four to six cups of water per hours in high temperatures like those forecasted for the weekend.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Claudia Cautillo
