Montreal’s heat wave has officially broken on Thursday — and after days of sweltering temperatures, workers across the city say they’re relieved to finally cool down.
The extreme humidity that started on Sunday has eased up, but it’s feeling far from breezy. Environment Canada is calling for a high of 28 C — feeling more like 33 C with the humidex.
For plenty of Montrealers, the end of the heat wave couldn’t have come soon enough.
Miguel Gonzalez works for the City of Montreal as a street cleaner. He works for eight hours under the sun, sweeping sidewalks and keeping the streets tidy.
“Of course, it’s not that easy to work during summertime, but at least you have (…) tools that will help you to deal with the extreme heat,” said Gonzalez.
To get through the week, Gonzalez says he stayed strapped with multiple water bottles — draining three litres by the end of the day.
“When it is humid, you sweat a lot. So that makes a huge difference as well. So yeah, you feel like sticky, like your body feels sticky. “
He says he was lucky enough to only have to bring a single one after the heat broke.
“Today is very nice. Compared to the last three days (…) but I think it was Monday and Tuesday. It was extremely difficult to work,” Gonzalez explained.
He arrived in Montreal in February after living in Melbourne, Australia, for 15 years.
If there’s one thing Gonzalez says about this week’s heat wave, it’s that the northern weather has given Australia a run for its money. He says heat feels heavier here than it does down under.
“We have temperatures in there that can reach up to 40 degrees. But it’s just, it is very humid in here.”
But Gonzalez isn’t the only one who had to tough out the humidity.
Even workers like Sahi Hector Azuoan — a security guard in downtown Montreal, who only steps outside to do his rounds three times a day – say the heat was unbearable.
He has to wear thick sweaters due to the air conditioning inside, so going outside is even hotter.
“Since it’s very cold inside, I dress accordingly. So when I go outside in that outfit, it becomes more difficult,” said Azuoan.
The warning that began gripping the city on Sunday resulted in at least three heat-related deaths being reported to Montreal’s public health department.
But while Environment Canada dropped the heat warning Thursday, officials say residents should still take precautions before spending long periods of time outdoors.
“It’s important to still protect yourself from the heat and the sun. So drinking lots of water, wearing sunscreen to protect your skin, hats, sunglasses,” said Steven Flisfeder, a meteorologist with Environment & Climate Change Canada.
According to many residents and tourists alike, the end of the heat wave is a welcome relief after days of boiling temperatures.
“It’s awesome, it feels nice to be able to walk for like 30 minutes without actually feeling like you’re gonna have a heat stroke,” said one Montrealer CityNews spoke to.
Another saying, “I’m very glad it rained because it added some freshness to the air.”
But others say they actually enjoyed the blistering weather, saying that it was a rare taste of summer before Montreal’s signature frost sets in.
“I like the heat and I love the humidity so I mean it’s rough but in the nighttime it’s super nice to be able to go outside and just like not wear a sweater,” said a Montrealer.
As for Gonzalez, he says he’s ready for whatever weather comes next, but wouldn’t mind a few more mild days before the next heat wave rolls in.
“You have to carry with you is to make sure you carry some water, something to drink. Like, if you have some time to spend in the shadow, just go for it,” said Gonzalaz.
