HALIFAX -- It doesn't happen every May, but there are heat warnings in effect for parts of the Maritimes.
Issued Tuesday in the northwest of New Brunswick, the warnings call for potential humidex values, making it feel in the range of 33 to 38 degrees Wednesday and Thursday.
Criteria for heat warnings were updated in 2018. One of the criteria is for two consecutive days of a humidex making it feel 36 or hotter, and it certainly looks like some in that area could hit that.
Heat warning criteria were updated by Environment Canada in 2018. While slightly different for each province, a humidex of 36 for two or more consecutive days is uniform for the region.
Increased humidity this week and the passage of some showers and rain across northern New Brunswick, P.E.I., and Cape Breton Tuesday night into Wednesday morning does seem to have had a positive effect on the fire weather index for the Maritimes.
That said, the fire danger is still high for many areas, and burn bans and restrictions remain in place. You should check with provincial guides before having any outdoor open fires.
Not much more than spotty showers in the forecast through Friday, when we may start to see a change in our weather pattern.
The fire danger forecast from Natural Resources Canada has generally come down for this week. That said, some areas are still rated as "high danger" in the region, those are marked by yellow on the map. Note that this forecast may differ from those issued provincially.
That change is expected to come as a slow-moving cold front arrives from the west. The front is forecast to approach New Brunswick on Friday, bringing scattered showers to that province. On the weekend the front will slowly cross the Maritime region, bringing widespread showers, and possibly rain for some, to the region. Following the passage of the front, cooler and less humid air will filter in lowering overall temperature and humidity.
The weekend still holds more widespread showers for the Maritimes, even rain for some areas.
While not a sunny weekend forecast that some may like, we really could use the wet weather to further help alleviate dry conditions and reduce the fire danger. It is still only late May and we don't want to get too dry and hot too quickly heading into our summer months.
