A sunny, summery Sunday for the Maritimes

High pressure and a wind that will bring warmer air in out of New England will give plenty of sunshine this weekend and a summery feel on Sunday.

Cloud and showers clear the Maritimes west to east Friday night into early Saturday morning. Saturday will be sunny with a northwest breeze. High temperatures reaching the high-teens and low-twenties for most. Temperatures a touch cooler in Cape Breton with highs of 14 to 17, except near 12 for Inverness County where the northwest wind will carry in cooler air off the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Mind the UV index on Saturday, it will be 7 or high.

Sunny and breezy on Saturday. The UV index 7 or high.

A clear night sky should offer great star gazing conditions Saturday night. Look for the first quarter moon, 49 per cent illuminated, high in the southwestern sky after sunset. To the west, a pair of planets -- Venus and Mars -- will be setting near midnight. If you are an early riser, Jupiter will be visible, rising over the eastern horizon just before sunrise. No significant geomagnetic storms are currently forecast for the weekend so a showing of the aurora looks very unlikely for the Maritimes.

Clear conditions Saturday night will offer great viewing conditions for the Moon and a few planets.

High temperatures on Sunday are forecast to reach the mid-to-high twenties for much of the region. A few communities hitting 30 can’t be ruled out in southwestern New Brunswick. Parts of northern New Brunswick may be a touch cooler with highs of 22 to 26 due to some increasing cloudiness. Likewise, sea breezes (an onshore wind created by the difference in daytime heating between ocean water and land) will keep the coastlines in the region between 18 and 24. Surrounding surface ocean water temperatures are still mostly between 7 and 9 degrees, though the Northumberland Strait has come up to 10.

Record setting? Unlikely for most. Most of the high temperature records for a May 28 are in the range of 30 to 34 for New Brunswick, 27 to 31 for Nova Scotia, and 25 to 30 for Prince Edward Island.

A summery feel on Sunday. Enjoy as temperatures will cool significantly for Monday of next week. The official start of summer is at the solstice on June 21 at 11:57 a.m.

A sunny start to Sunday is expected. Cloudy conditions will increase in the afternoon and evening as a weak cold front drops in from the north. The front will bring a chance of showers for Sunday afternoon and evening to northern and eastern New Brunswick, eastern Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Cooler air does move into place Sunday night behind the front. High temperatures on Monday for the Maritimes will come down into the low-to-mid teens.

In the long range forecast, warmer temperatures may return as early as Wednesday or Thursday of next week.