Windsor-Essex is in for a summer of heat waves, thunderstorms and smoke. How should you prepare?

The official start of summer is weeks away on June 21 — but experts are already warning you to brace for a hot, stormy season with the looming threat of wildfire smoke.

"Windsor and southern Ontario are sitting in that above normal temperature category," said Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist with The Weather Network.

"One of the biggest features we're going to be seeing this summer is a heat dome."

Modestino said heat waves, as the heat dome moves sluggishly from the central Unites States through the Great Lakes, can begin in Windsor-Essex in late June into July, and could be "on and off" throughout the summer. 

Windsor-Essex will also see thunderstorms that occur along the edges of that heat dome: Known as "Ring of Fire" thunderstorms, they occur where cooler and warmer air meet. 

"It'll be a combination of the thunderstorms, the Ring of Fire thunderstorms, but also the storm tracks coming up the East Coast where that high pressure is located."

Modestino said wildfire smoke could also be a potential threat, travelling from northern Ontario and the prairies.

Warmer, wetter summer on the way: ECCC

Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips agrees. He told Windsor Morning host Amy Dodge Monday that this week, temperatures will remain in the mid to high 20s, with Tuesday expected to be the warmest day of the year so far. 

Philips said Environment Canada and other models suggest that Canada is going to be "warmer than normal" this summer.

"All [models] saying we're going to be warm, warm, warm," he said.

"There's lots of reds on the weather map I'm looking at and the redder it is, the more confident you are. Most of the computer runs are saying the same thing. We're pretty confident that it's going to be warmer than normal."

Philips said the summer, according to Environment Canada's current 90-day forecast, shows "a little wetter than normal" weather for the region. 

'Two to three months of extreme heat expected in Windsor-Essex by the turn of the century'

Caroline Metz is the managing director of climate resilience and health at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo. 

Between 1990 and 2000, Metz said Windsor had 20 days with temperatures above 30 C. She said there has been "a noticeable increase," with that number jumping up to between 25 and 30 days in the past five years.

"[Windsor-Essex is] projected to experience about 72 days of hot temperatures, that's above 30 C by the middle of the century, so 2050 to 2080. That's two and a half months of hot weather," she said.

"In the latter part of the century, so 2070 to 2100, we're looking at 94 days of very hot temperatures above 30 C. That's three months of high heat."

How should you prepare for hazards this summer?

Metz said "more intense, frequent and extreme" weather events are expected in the region.

"The top three weather hazards that we need to be concerned about in Windsor and Essex [county] are flooding, extreme heat and wildfire or wildfire smoke," she said, calling extreme heat a silent killer.

"Heat is really how climate change manifests most strongly."

Metz said indoor overheating is a big concern: In 2021 a heat dome in B.C., saw more than 600 people die, with "98 per cent of deaths occurring indoors." 

To prepare for the summer heat, Metz says there are steps homeowners and tenants can take: 

• Plant trees and plants around home. Even plants on a balcony can provide a cooling effect.

• Install exterior awnings on your windows.

• Add blinds or heat resistant curtains or window films that reduce the sun's rays coming into your home.

• Consider installing low emissivity windows that let sunlight in, but block solar heat.

• If renovating, upgrade the insulation in your home. 

• Have a heat pump or an air conditioner or ensure you're able to get to a community cooling centre.

• Avoid using fans during extreme heat and use air conditioning instead if you have it.

Most importantly, Metz advises people to stay connected with family and friends. 

"Social cohesion and social connectedness is a very big factor in heat resilience and in saving lives," she said.

Metz said wildfire damage caused by burning embers coming from an existing wildfire is a threat too. She suggests people:

• Clear all combustible material like firewood, lumber and debris from around the home.

• Use as much non-combustible material as possible during construction.

• Use steel or fire-resistant material for fencing and decking.

• Install fire resistant roofing like a metal roof or class A shingles that are non combustible.

Wildfire smoke is becoming an increasing threat for human health, Metz added.

Fine particles that are less than 2.5 microns — roughly 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair — can affect the lungs and heart. She advises residents dealing with poor air quality and wildfire smoke to:

• Stay indoors as much as possible, if there is a warning for wildfire smoke.

• Seal your home. Keep windows and doors tightly closed to prevent the smoke from entering.

• Use an air purifier as it filters fine particles from the air. 

• If you need to go outside, wear a well-fitted respirator, like an N95 mask.

Windsor-Essex is no stranger to extreme rainfall events and flooding. 

Metz said the region has been experiencing a 40 per cent increase in precipitation compared to about 50 years ago and there are ways to prepare for flooding events:

• Extend downspouts to at least two meters away from your home. 

• Install clear covers over window wells. 

• Correct the grading so that rainwater flows away from your home, not toward it. 

• Install a backwater valve in your basement, which prevents sewage from backing up and flooding.

• Install and regularly test your sump pump.

Resources available to affordably beat the heat

Besides cooling centres and spray pads available throughout the summer, residents can access Keep the Heat, a Windsor-based program that helps low-income families pay a portion of their utility bills when they're higher because they're running an air conditioner more often. 

Dean Christie, the program's director of finance, said they have encouraged its clients to negotiate with their landlords to see if there is a possibility of saving on some of those costs. 

Christie said since the program's inception in 2005, rising temperatures have meant "an increasing demand." Consequently, they've had to reduce the amount people can access — from $1,000 to $800 — that people can access to pay their utility bills, so they can help more people.

He said last year, 1,194 unique households, or 1,865 adults and 1,636 children, accessed the program — a 25 per cent increase from the previous year.

But Christie says he worries about the future with extreme heat slated to become more common and prolonged.

Higher consumption of air conditioning, as well as general inflation and cost of living pressure, has meant more people are looking to use the Keep the Heat program. 

"I think there will be more people this year," he said, "and that's one of the reasons why we have reduced the cap from $1,000 to $800 because we're hoping that we'll be able to service more people."