London breaks second high temperature record in as many days as summer turns to fall

Fall officially arrived at 4:01 p.m. Friday, but you wouldn’t know it based on the forecast.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit has issued a heat alert thanks to a forecast calling for temperatures reaching 31 C over the weekend and into Monday.

With the humidity, it could feel closer to 40.

Friday afternoon, Environment Canada issued a heat warning for much of southern Ontario.

Both the national weather agency and the health unit are reminding people to stay hydrated and cool to avoid heat-related illnesses. Symptoms include rapid breathing, weakness or fatigue, more tiredness than usual, headache, and confusion. Anyone experiencing any of those symptoms should seek help from a friend, relative, or doctor.

While the city’s spray pads generally cease operating for the season at the beginning of September, the spray pad at the Forks of the Thames opened Thursday and will stay open all weekend while the spray pad at Gibbons Park will operate both Saturday and Sunday.

The temperature on Friday hit 30.7C after 4 p.m., setting a new high temperature for the second day in a row and setting the stage for a potential five-day string of broken records.

The previous record for September 22 was 30.6C, set in 1941. On Thursday, the temperature hit 29.3 C, surpassing the previous record of 28.9 C set in 1970.

The record for Sept. 22 is 30.6 C set in 1941, the records for Sept. 23 and Sept. 24 are both 28.3 C set in 1959 and 1970 respectively, and the current record for Sept. 25 is 26.7 C set in 1958.

The forecast calls for a high of 31 C on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.