Toronto breaks 73-year-old weather record as merciless heat wave drags on

It's a painfully humid, oppressively hot, and now record-breaking extreme kind of day in Toronto with temperatures sitting at 32 C as of 4 p.m. on Monday.

Higher than what was initially forecast by Environment Canada, this marks the warmest conditions observed at Toronto's Pearson International Airport on an August 23 since 1949, when temperatures reached 31.7 C.

And it's humid, too, with air so soupy and thick meteorologists say it feels closer to 39 C in the city.

"Hot and humid conditions expected to continue on Tuesday and then possibly into the middle of the week. Maximum temperatures: 31 degrees Celsius, with humidex values 36 to 40," reads an EnviroCan heat warning that's now been in effect for three full days.

"Hot and humid air can also bring deteriorating air quality and can cause the Air Quality Health Index to approach the high risk category... Drink plenty of water even before you feel thirsty and stay in a cool place."

Temps have been climbing all day to reach a high of 31.9 around 4 p.m. on Monday, marking Toronto's hottest August 23 since 1949. Image via Environment Canada.

Needless to say, after a few weeks of this, Torontonians are getting grumpy — despite the fact that we were all just griping over a too-cold, too-rainy month of July.

Regretfully, the forecasts for Tuesday and Wednesday look just as stifling, with highs of 31 and 32 predicted, respectively.

The UV index remains "very high," but the sun isn't alone in heating things up for our fair city. Overnight temperatures are providing little relief and are expected to reach a low (ha!) of 22 C on Monday evening.

Meteorologists at The Weather Network are blaming the mugginess on Tropical Storm Henri, the remnants of which are slowly pushing a trough of "tropical moisture and energy" through Southern Ontario.

"Temperature-wise, it will remain hot and humid through the middle of this week," noted the Weather Network in a report published Monday. "A cold front will bring a bit of relief across the region late next week, but will be brief."