Rain in the forecast for holiday Monday

After two days of spring sunshine, Torontonians may be let down holiday Monday.

Just in time for Victoria Day fireworks, thunderstorms and high winds are in the forecast.

Environment Canada is calling for clouds, early morning showers and winds gusting up to 60 kilometres per hour on Monday.

The westward winds will calm down in the evening, and though forecasters predict rain in the early evening and again after midnight Monday, there may be a fortuitous gap long enough for the annual long weekend fireworks as they light up the sky over Lake Ontario.

The fireworks are set to begin at 9:45 p.m. at Ashbridge's Bay. The City of Toronto expects more than 80,000 people to watch the fireworks there.

To help prevent major traffic problems, the TTC is increasing its Monday service on area bus routes and adding streetcars to the 501 Queen route, and advising residents to take transit rather than drive.

Bring your own lawn chair and umbrella. And a jacket – temperatures are expected to drop to 14 C after a daytime high of 23 C.

— Zoe McKnight, Staff Reporter

Toronto basks under sunny skies

A walk on the wild side, wild dandelions in the warm sunshine. DAVID COOPER/TORONTO STAR

After days of trudging through the rain, Torontonians can finally bask in the sun Saturday.

Environment Canada predicts temperatures reaching 26°C and a very high UV index for Saturday, weather more in line with the unofficial start of summer.

But true to conventional wisdom that suggests the May long weekend is always rainy and cool, weather patterns will shift again by Sunday evening, bringing winds of up to 20 kilometres per hour and the risk of thunderstorms.

Cooler temperatures will prevail into the coming week as well, forecasters predict. Monday, the same day as the annual fireworks show at Ashbridge’s Bay, will be windy with a 40 per cent chance of rain.

- Zoe McKnight and Aleysha Haniff, Staff reporters

The good news? Umbrella sales are up

Sam Paulikot, 18 months, splashes in the rain in Toronto on Wednesday. (NATHAN DENETTE/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

 

“Oh, has it been raining?”

Forgive the sarcasm. For J.R. Peters, the unrelenting deluge isn’t just annoying, it’s bad business. With the planting season three weeks behind schedule, there’s little joy among the gardeners and landscapers stocking up at Humber Nurseries, where Peters is operations manager.

“We’re all depressed right now,” he said.

They’re likely not the only ones. Until the clouds parted Wednesday afternoon and a merciful sun briefly shone on Torontonians, 4 days had gone by since we saw it last. To make matters worse, of those bleak 96 hours, it rained for 68.

“It’s just relentless,” said David Phillips, Environment Canada’s senior climatologist. “It’s almost as if it’s a water torture test. It’s nickel and diming you with a little bit here, there and everywhere.”

So far this month, 67 millimetres of rain have fallen. As a reference, imagine 67 dimes stacked on top of each other. Normally, May gets about 73 dimes. The record for rainfall in May still goes to 1942, when just over 200 mm (or $20 worth) of rain fell.

“We aren’t breaking any records in terms of rain,” Phillips said. “But the amount of rain isn’t the determining factor of whether it’s depressing. It is the frequency of it.”

The worst part is thinking back to last May, when just a single day passed without the sun. It was toastier than usual, never dipping below 10 degrees during the day. The best we can say of this May is that there’s so much cloud coverage, it’s trapping man-made heat and keeping it incrementally warmer at night.

Yes, patios are shuttered, soccer games cancelled and golf courses closed. It’s enough to make you browse Nevada foreclosure listings. But not everyone is crying onto their raincoats.

At Raindrops, a rain supply store below the Royal York Hotel, monthly umbrella sales are way up, from 188 last May to 290 this year. Over at Heel Boy on Queen St. W., the shoe store has moved twice as many Hunter rain boats this year as last, even at $150 a pair.

“It’s been pretty remarkable,” said manager McKenzie Walsh. Their supplier is sold out, she warns, so the city’s supply of the über-fashionable boots may soon dry up.

It’s all thanks to a little orphan weather system, cut off from the major stream that flows west to east. Unable to move from its spot over the mid-Atlantic states, the system is pushing moisture northward, Phillips said. And though you’d think it’d be wrung dry by now, this sly system is being replenished by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

“It’s almost as if it’s the enemy that’s got resupply lines from the south and it just continues to spread rain and cloud and drizzle over us,” Phillips said.

But its campaign of rain can’t last forever. The forecast for Saturday calls for clouds but no rain and a pleasant 22 degrees. Of course, that can’t last forever either. The rain is expected to return Sunday.

Nicki Thomas Staff Reporter

Rain dampens Torontonians' spirits

Like last weekend's weather? There's more where that came from

Fog covers the pedestrian bridge over the mouth of the Humber River on Saturday, May 14. (ANDREW WALLACE/THE TORONTO STAR)

A weather system that brought a gloomy weekend to Toronto will hang around for the foreseeable future, promising little relief from rain and cloud.

For today, Environment Canada expects a high of 10 C and low of 7 C, along with winds of about 30 km/h. Seasonal highs for this time of year are typically around 20 C.

Since Friday, we've had a total of 50 mm -- and 53 hours of either rain, fog or drizzle, according to David Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment Canada.

We’ve only have 80 hours of sunshine this month, barely two-thirds of what's typical for a May. April, in contrast, was much more pleasant, with 126 hours of sunshine.

Phillips said a weather system has simply stalled over southern Ontario, keeping the clouds hanging around for the foreseeable future

There is a brighter note, however: temperatures are expected to steadily increase throughout the week, with sunshine in the forecast for the Saturday of the long weekend.

 

-- Galit Rodan, Staff Reporter

Toronto facing a bleak weather prognosis

Toronto is facing an epidemic of gloomy weather.

Symptoms include soggy boots, a grumpy attitude and a claustrophobic sensation as a result of sitting inside by the television all day. In some extreme cases, sufferers have experienced storm-drain syndrome, where a passing bus delivers a thorough soaking to pedestrians walking too close to the curb. Pain can be alleviated with a low dose of obscenities and fist-shaking.

According to Environment Canada, the problem is contagious. It has spread northward to most of southern Ontario from the U.S. eastern seaboard. The cold low pressure system over New York state and Pennsylvania was also to blame for Saturday’s thick fog.

Forecasters warn northeast winds could reach up to 60 km/h Sunday night and deliver more than 30 millimetres of rain. Side effects include chills, broken umbrellas and even cancelled dinner plans. Others will experience only grey skies, heavy cloud cover, frizzy hair and an overwhelming desire to complain.

It gets worse before it gets better, with rain expected in the forecast every day right up to Friday. And experts note a healthy spring temperature should be as high as 20 degrees for May.

Are there any bright spots?

Though Sunday's temperature only hit 9 degrees, it is expected to climb steadily this week, ultimately reaching about a high of 22 C by next Saturday.

Just don’t expect sunshine, the weather system will take time to run its course.

“This low [pressure system] is pretty slow-moving,” said Melody Yang, an Environment Canada meteorologist.

Right up to next weekend, we can expect the same weather, mostly cloudy, with a continuing chance of showers.

There is no cure for this condition. Residents are advised to do their best to stay dry and be mentally prepared for a week without sun.

— Zoe McKnight, Staff Reporter

Toronto's fog to lift this evening

The fog enveloping the city is expected to dissipate in the evening, just in time for Sunday’s GoodLife Fitness Toronto marathon.

Although the hazy weather will be gone, the city will still be stuck with rain and a drop in temperatures.

Photos: In a fog? You're not alone

“We’ve got a big low pressure system circulating to our south, and it’s going to keep spinning and moving slowly northeastward over the next four days,” causing spring showers into next week, said Mark Firman, a meteorologist at Environment Canada.

The fog was causing delays in flights to and from Billy Bishop airport. Porter Airlines says travellers in Toronto, Moncton, N.B., St. John's, N.L., Quebec City and Boston may see delays or cancellations due to the weather. The airline is urging travellers to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.

The weather is also decreasing visibility on the roads.

“My own feeling is fog in of itself isn’t necessarily going to contribute to a huge increase in the number of collisions but certainly bad weather is a huge contributor,” said Staff Sergeant Winston Bennett.

Precautions for driving in foggy weather include slowing down, especially in well-populated areas, and staying off electronic devices.

“You’re going to come up on things a lot quicker,” Bennett said. “Be cautious. There are people out walking.”

With files from Zoe McKnight, Sarah Ratchford and the Canadian Press

What the fog?

Cyclists head towards Cherry Beach during a foggy morning May 14, 2011. CARLOS OSORIO/TORONTO STAR

 

Torontonians will find themselves in a fog this morning, and not just because of Friday night’s adventures.

Saturday’s weather will be the stuff of gothic novels.

The city is swathed in a layer of fog, but what causes the mysterious veil of vapour?

“A warm front went through yesterday and warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico has pushed up into Southern Ontario. That causes fog – a more moist air mass than usual,” said Mark Firman, a meteorologist at Environment Canada.

• Photos: In a fog? You're not alone

“Plus all the rain that’s around keeps our lower atmosphere saturated with moisture,” he said.

Visibility is particularly low near Lake Ontario, but conditions improve closer to the 401.

And while the fog should be gone by mid-afternoon, the skies will stay grey.

“We’ve got a big low pressure system circulating to our south, and it’s going to keep spinning and moving slowly northeastward over the next four days,” causing those spring showers into next week, Firman said.

So when is the sun coming back?

“It’s going to be a while,” he said.

For those who have long forgotten science class, Chris St. Clair of the Weather Network explains:

“Fog is formed when the air cools to a point that water vapour begins to condense.

“This moisture clings to particles in the air to form liquid cloud droplets, which are suspended,” creating that cloudy shroud.

The fog is expected to dissipate later Saturday, giving way to rain showers with a risk of thunderstorm.

Later Saturday, the temperature should drop as the winds pick up, carrying the gloomy weather over into Sunday.

- Sarah Ratchford and Zoe McKnight, Staff Reporters

Foggy conditions will make for some compelling photos, check out The Star's Camera Club for tips and tricks, then send us your photos.

Seven days of rain in the forecast

Sunday’s Toronto marathon runners won’t need water bottles along the route, according to David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada: Five clear days are about to give way to seven days of rain.

Thunderstorms from the Midwestern U.S. will help give Friday the 13^th some of its time-honoured spooky vibes, but should hold off until the commute home this evening.

Temperatures are about to drop, too. Friday’s high of 21°C on will plummet to 10°C Sunday and 7°C Monday.

“At least we’re not under water yet. Not like the West,” said Phillips.

The upside?

This isn’t the long weekend forecast.

“Let’s just hope that nature’s exhausted by the time the long weekend begins, or else we’ll be building arks,” Phillips said.

--Galit Rodan, Staff Reporter

 

Farmland faces flooding in Manitoba

Volunteers sandbag on the southern dike of the Assiniboine River in Brandon, Manitoba on Monday, May 9, 2011. The high water levels of the Assiniboine River are threatening surrounding communities. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

BRANDON, Man. - A municipal reeve says a controlled release of water from the swollen Assiniboine River in Manitoba is expected to flood 300 homes — twice as many as originally expected.

Kam Blight says the release will also devastate high-value farmland that produces a large share of the province's vegetable and specialty crops.

Area residents are frantically trying to find sandbags and remove what they can from their houses before the release, which could come as early as Wednesday.

They have lots of questions about how the flood is being handled and why their area is being sacrificed to preserve other regions.

Meanwhile, officials in Brandon in western Manitoba say dikes appear to be holding back the rising river.

They say the flow may have actually peaked.

A beaver rests on a dike on the south side of the Assiniboine River in Brandon, Man. as volunteers and machinery work in the background on Monday May 9, 2011. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Brandon Sun - Tim Smith)

Crews sandbag a business on the north bank of the Assiniboine River in Brandon, Man. on Monday, May 9, 2011. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

Bryan Ezako, owner of a home which is surrounded by water on Golden Oak Cove, boats to his home near St. Francis Xavier, Man., Monday, May 9, 2011. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

Military personnel from the C Company, 2PPCLI, help sandbag just outside Poplar Point in Manitoba, Monday, May 9, 2011. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

Work is done to build up the dikes of the Portage Diversion just outside Portage La Prairie in Manitoba, Monday, May 9, 2011. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

Crews set up an Aqua dam on top of the southern dike of the Assiniboine River in Brandon, Manitoba on Monday, May 9, 2011. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)