Heat warnings remain in effect across the Greater Toronto Area, and the extreme weather likely isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Scorching temperatures reached 36 C on Tuesday and Environment Canada says the prolonged heat will last until Thursday or Friday for areas near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

On top of the brutal heat, Southern Ontario is also under a yellow-level warning for poor air quality that will last all night and through Wednesday.

The national weather agency says smoke from forest fires from northwestern Ontario is causing poor air quality.

Seniors, pregnant people, young children and those with an existing illness or health condition are more likely to be impacted.

“As smoke levels increase, health risks increase,” Environment Canada says. “Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events.”

In downtown Toronto, city workers Andrew Loder and Matthew Botsford were outside much of the day to maintain plants at Berczy Park. They said the city gave them protective clothing and gear such as cooling headbands and armbands.

“Our supervisors also make sure to tell us (to) … take extra breaks,” Botsford said.



“It feels like we just have winter and then summer, but the summers are definitely getting hotter and hotter,” Loder said, adding that he tries to keep cool by staying indoors or going for a swim when he’s not working. 

Toronto resident Daniel Navarro said he left home early on Tuesday to take his dog for a walk. If he’d left any later, the heat would have made it unsafe for both of them, he said.



“Physically it kind of like drains you, makes you more tired,” Navarro said. “Instead of enjoying super nice summer days, we have to worry about these heat waves too.”

The City of Toronto said several outdoor pools will remain open until nearly midnight Tuesday while officials in Vaughan, north of Toronto, said splash pad hours this week have been extended. 

For Toronto resident Melissa Lenis, the cost of air conditioning her condo wasn’t worth it. She decided to work under a shady tree in a downtown park instead.

“Our condo gets really hot,” said Lenis, who brought two waters with her to stay hydrated.

Bikash Giri sat in the same park and said the trees “really help” with cooling down momentarily, but that he planned to find a restaurant with air conditioning to spend the rest of the afternoon.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for a mix of sun and cloud, and a 30 per cent chance of showers in the late afternoon in Toronto.

Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 33 C with humidex values near 41 C.

With files from The Canadian Press.