This week gets off to a hot, humid and hazy start on Monday in Winnipeg and across much of Manitoba.
Daytime highs in southern and northern regions will reach the mid-to-upper 20s, leaning more toward the upper 20s in many areas including Winnipeg.
Temperatures will get even hotter later in the week.
Heat warnings in effect now west of Manitoba could be triggered here by the midweek when temperatures are expected to climb into the low 30s with overnight lows in the upper teens.
The other concern is smoke.
Wildfire smoke trapped under a ridge of high pressure over Saskatchewan will spread east today, so areas in the western half of Manitoba may experience smoky conditions, too.
In Winnipeg and the southeast, conditions are hazier at this point.
Of course, with such heat and humidity, the risk of thunderstorms can’t be ruled out either.
The greatest chance of thunderstorms today is along the Manitoba Escarpment, although they are expected to be non-severe.
Overnight and Tuesday could be a different story.
A cold front expected to slump over central Saskatchewan this evening could trigger severe thunderstorms overnight in central Manitoba and here in the southeast on Tuesday afternoon and evening.