TORONTO - A meteorologist says the blistering hot weather that hit southern Ontario this week is "all too common" during the summer and people should not panic.
Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson says the heat increases the chance of thunder storms, such as the one that struck Whitby on Sunday.
Seventeen people were sent to hospital with minor injuries after lightning struck a tent at a food festival in the city east of Toronto.
While the whole country can expect the mercury to continue to skyrocket, southern Ontario is being hit with a particularly harsh dose of sweltering heat.
Temperatures in the region are expected to hit the mid-to-high-30s today with a humidex reading approaching 45 degrees Celsius.
As for the rest of the country, Coulson says it's looking warmer than normal through the rest of July and August from the foothills of Alberta through Quebec and the Maritimes.
