TORONTO, Ont. – The City of Toronto’s acting medical officer of health has upgraded the heat alert to an extreme heat alert. It will be in effect until further notice.

During an extreme heat alert, the city’s cooling centres are open:

  • Metro Hall – 55 John St. (24 hours)
  • East York Civic Centre – 850 Coxwell Ave. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
  • North York Civic Centre – 5100 Yonge St. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
  • Driftwood Community Centre – 4401 Jane St. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
  • Etobicoke Olympium – 590 Rathburn Rd. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
  • McGregor Community Centre – 2231 Lawrence Ave. E. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) • Centennial Park Community Centre – 1967 Ellesmere Rd. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)


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During heat and extreme heat alerts, the public is encouraged check on family, friends and neighbours, especially isolated adults and seniors, who are at greater risk of suffering from heat-related illness. Also, you should not leave seniors, children or pets unattended in a car.

This if the third extreme heat alert issued by the city this year — the other two were issued on June 20 and July. There have also been five heat alerts, covering seven days: May 28, June 19, June 28-30, July 3 and now, July 12.

On Thursday, Environment Canada confirmed the last 12 months have been the warmest in Toronto in recorded history.

680News meteorologist Jill Taylor said things started out cold in June, but that certainly turned around.

“June of this year actually started off on the chilly side, but the second half has been extremely warm with six 30 C-plus days recorded the latter half of June, and it looks like that trend will continue with very warm days,” Taylor said.

So far in July, the city had four days of temperatures above 30 C.

Taylor said it’s been a season of broken records. Toronto had a five-day record warm stretch in March with recording-breaking temperatures.

March record highs were:

  • March 18 – 19.9 C
  • March 19 – 22.8 C
  • March 20 – 21.9 C
  • March 21 – 23.3 C
  • March 22 – 26 C


The city also had below-average rainfall for March, April and May, and above-average rain in June — but not enough to make up for the early spring drought.

Only 15.6 millimetres of ran fell in March, with 42.4 and 44.4 millimetres in April and May, respectively.