Ottawa is in the thick of another sticky, sweltering stretch, with Environment Canada humidex values pushing the feels-like temperature to 37°C today. The combination of high heat and heavy humidity has settled over the capital region, making it the kind of day where stepping outside feels like walking into a wall of warm, wet air.
What's Driving the Heat
A persistent dome of hot, moisture-laden air has parked itself over Eastern Ontario, and Ottawa is squarely in its path. While the actual air temperature is expected to sit in the low-to-mid 30s, it's the humidity that's doing the heavy lifting when it comes to how the day actually feels. That 37°C humidex reading puts Ottawa into the range where health officials typically start flagging heat-related risks, especially for anyone spending extended time outdoors.
This kind of weather isn't unusual for the city in the summer months, but stretches of consecutive hot, humid days can still catch residents off guard, particularly those without air conditioning or with limited access to shaded, cool spaces.
How Ottawa Is Coping
Around the city, the usual summer heat rituals are in full swing. Splash pads in neighbourhoods like Westboro, Barrhaven, and the Byward Market area are seeing steady crowds of kids and families looking to cool off, while the Rideau Canal and Ottawa River waterfront paths remain popular spots for anyone hoping to catch a breeze. Ottawa Public Health's network of designated cooling centres — including select libraries, community centres, and recreation facilities — remain open for residents who need a break from the heat, particularly seniors, young children, and those with underlying health conditions.
Local cafés and ice cream spots across the city, from the Glebe to Hintonburg, are also likely feeling the benefit of the heat wave, with patios and take-out windows staying busy well into the evening as the sun finally starts to lose some of its bite.
Staying Safe in the Heat
With the humidex this high, health officials generally recommend limiting strenuous outdoor activity during peak afternoon hours, staying well-hydrated, wearing light-coloured and breathable clothing, and checking in on neighbours or relatives who may be more vulnerable to heat stress. Pets aren't exempt either — pavement can get hot enough to burn paws, and dogs left in parked cars, even briefly, face serious risk in this kind of weather.
For Ottawa residents planning to be outdoors today, the advice is simple: pace yourself, seek shade when you can, and keep the water bottle close. The humidity may ease somewhat as the week progresses, but for now, the capital is very much in the grip of a classic Ottawa summer scorcher.
Source: CTV News via Google News
