Hot sun and warm temperatures greet parade-watchers and party-goers this weekend
Hot and sunny at Ashbridges Bay on a beautiful Saturday morning by Lake Ontario. Dave Cooper/Toronto Star
The thousands of Torontonians lining the streets for the Caribbean Carnival and parade could blister in the sun this holiday weekend, with high temperatures and a very high UV index.
The festival formerly known as Caribana kicks off Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with the Grand Parade starting from Exhibition Place.
About 20,000 masqueraders and musicians will dance and perform soca, calypso, reggae and salsa music down the 1.5-kilometre route on Lake Shore Blvd. W., which is closed from Strachan Ave. to Colborne Lodge Dr.
The weather is perfect for the weekend-long outdoor celebrations. With an expected high of 30 C and a UV rating of 9, or very high, and just a few clouds in the sky, forecasters are warning revelers to wear sunscreen to avoid a burn, especially between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun is at its strongest.
“Extra precaution [is] required – unprotected skin will be damaged and can burn quickly,” Environment Canada warns on the weather office website.
The self-proclaimed largest Caribbean festival in North America, the 44th annual carnival is expected to attract more than a million participants for the weekend-long jam.
And as the party winds down Sunday evening, there is a slight risk, at 30 per cent, of rain or thundershowers in the forecast.
Zoe McKnight, Staff Reporter
Hundreds of Beach Volleyball players worked up a sweat on the sand and people strolled and cycled along the waterfront. DAVID COOPER / TORONTO STAR
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