In our humble opinion, this summer has been pretty awesome so far. We’ve had plenty of sunny days, perfect for strolling through parks, and it’s been hot enough to jump in the ocean on multiple occasions. And meteorologist Cindy Day has good news: The clear skies and warm days will keep on coming. Based on how weather systems are setting up, she predicts the end of July through August will be slightly warmer than average—though not the extreme highs some other parts of the world are experiencing this summer—and precipitation will be slightly below average. “It should be a nice, warm second half of summer,” she says in an interview with The Coast.
Day says these beach-worthy days to come will also bring an above-average UV Index (click here to read exactly how those work), so make sure to protect yourself from sunburn. Even if it looks like it’s cloudy, she says high, thin clouds can actually magnify the sun’s rays. “So even if you think, ‘Well, it’s not blue sky out there, it’s one of those hazy, mostly cloudy days,’ lather on the sunscreen because they can be the worst for sunburns and damaged skin.”
Day notes that people often forget that it’s just as important to protect your eyes from the sun as your skin— sun damage to your eyes can cause cataracts down the road. So don’t forget your shades!
We might be trading in our hot, dry summer for a rainy fall, though. A Bremuda high, a high pressure system, is responsible for the warm air circulating around the province, Day explains. That same system steers tropical events our way. We’re also in the midst of a La Niña weather event right now, which could mean a “pretty active tropical storm season,” Day says, and “hurricane potential as well.” She says we don’t know how close these storms will come to the coast yet, but we might have to brace for a stormy autumn.
To make the most of the pleasant weather while it’s here, The Coast’s Hot Summer Guide has you covered.