The month of July is ending as it began — on a hot note.
It hasn’t been this hot in Montreal in close to a century.
The average temperature for July was 24.5 C. The last time it was hotter was in 1921, when the average was 24.7.
And while some like it hot, the heat has had a devastating impact.
The high temperatures have been blamed for 53 deaths in Montreal, as the city grappled with a heatwave at the beginning of the month.
In a report released earlier this month, health authorities confirmed the majority of those who died in Montreal were men who lived alone.
Public health also found most of the victims lived in “heat islands,” which are spots in a city that are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas because of human activity and development.
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To help fight the heat island effect, the health authority suggested planting more trees and vegetation.
Other recommendations included finding better ways to identify neighbourhoods where door-to-door checks would help prevent deaths, and a need for greater collaboration between community organizations responsible for rooming houses.
An investigation is underway into the heat-related deaths, with a complete report expected by December.
— With files from Global’s Kalina Laframboise