Heat roasts the Pacific Northwest and Southwest Canada

Climatological fall began Monday in the Northern Hemisphere. As far as fall-like weather, it’s highly dependent on where you are. In and around southwest Canada it’ll feel more like midsummer.

Weather Watch

Southwest Canada to Pacific Northwest heat wave. Summer won’t stop in parts of the U.S. and Canada as a heat wave gains intensity into midweek. Heat warnings are up for areas east of the Cascades in Washington to northern Oregon, where highs are expected to top 100. In Canada, the national record for September and beyond may be set Tuesday or Wednesday.

Canada fires. Under the high pressure sparking the heat wave, fires are raging again in Southwest Canada. More than 20 million acres have been scorched in the country this year, or the second most on record only behind the insanity that was 2023 when more than 2x the current acreage was burned. Fires are sending poor air quality as far as the central U.S. early Tuesday.

Tropics. We’re into peak season and it’s been relatively quiet lately. A disturbance off the coast of Africa to the south of the Cabo Verde Islands is expected to slowly develop as it moves west over coming days. Weather modeling doesn’t do a whole lot with it until it gets closer to the Lesser Antilles in about a week. It would presently be favored to curve north and back out to sea from there, though it’s too early for any sort of real details.

Lightning links

Strong cold front set to bring back that fall feeling in Great Lakes, Northeast. (The Weather Channel)

Aurora was seen as far south as southern Virginia Monday night. (Spaceweather Aurora Gallery)

Summer 2025 was hottest on record in UK, says Met Office (Damien Gayle, The Guardian)

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Weekday morning newsletter by a journalist/forecaster. Connecting weather and climate change dots while occasionally stirring the pot.

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