Heat warnings in place as humidity blankets Nova Scotia

Environment Canada has issued heat warnings for most of mainland Nova Scotia and western Cape Breton with temperatures between 28 and 32 C expected.

Temperatures expected to hover between 28-32 C during the day until Sunday

Ryan Snoddon · CBC News · Posted: Aug 12, 2021 11:41 AM EDT | Last Updated: August 12, 2021

Two dogs take a breather in Halifax's Point Pleasant Park. Temperatures are expected to peak on Friday and Saturday. (Elizabeth McMillan/CBC)

The next three days are going to be very warm and muggy.

High temperatures Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be in the 28 to 32 C range across most of Nova Scotia with humidex values climbing into the 35-40 range.

Areas closer to the coast will be cooler, but will also be dealing with fog in this very moist and muggy air mass.

Overnights will be uncomfortable for those without air conditioning, with lows around 18 to 21 C.

The dew point is a great way of looking at how uncomfortable it feels.

The dew point is related to the quantity of moisture in the air. The higher the dew point, the more moisture there is in the air. The more moisture there is in the air, the muggier it feels.

As the muggy meter shows, a dew point over 20 is considered oppressive in this neck of the woods and we are looking at very tropical dew points of 20 to 24 through Saturday. This muggy air is typically what you'd experience in the southern U.S. and Caribbean, and that's where it's originating.

We'll finally see some relief as a cold front tracks through the province on Sunday, ushering in some much drier and more comfortable air throughout the day. We'll all get a better sleep on Sunday night.

Thursday Lunch Time Update.<br>Temperatures are warm & the humidity is very high with 20°-23° dew points across most of the Maritimes. <br>Humidex values are into the 30's and have just hit 40 in the Annapolis Valley! <br>Heat Warnings continue. Stay safe & stay cool! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nsstorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nsstorm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nbstorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nbstorm</a> <a href="https://t.co/qiYzLqv3Up">pic.twitter.com/qiYzLqv3Up</a>
—@ryansnoddon

Environment Canada has issued heat warnings for most of mainland Nova Scotia and western Cape Breton and though they don't extend to Guysborough County, Richmond County, Sydney Metro and Cape Breton County, the weather service says they will be applied to those areas Thursday afternoon.

Environment Canada issues warnings when there could be a risk of heat-related illnesses. It is also reminding people not to leave their pets in parked vehicles and suggests scheduling outdoor activities for cooler parts of the day.

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