We might all be wishing for that sweet summer weather but if the latest summer forecast is anything to go by, things are going to get sizzling in Alberta in the next few months.
In its annual summer forecast, AccuWeather said while parts of western Canada will see near-normal temperatures and even slightly above average rainfall, prairie regions such as southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan should be prepared for an extra hot and dry summer.
Almost all of southern Alberta is experiencing "abnormal dryness" according to the Canadian Drought Monitor, AccuWeather said.
Drought conditions have been in place across the huge section of the prairies since mid-May and a large percentage of the far-south of Alberta is in an "extreme drought", the second-highest drought classification, as of late May.
As a result, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said he expects cities like Calgary and Regina to have a "hotter summer compared to normal" as the drought conditions send temperatures soaring.
The reason for this is that dry ground radiates heat from the sun back to the lower levels of the atmosphere. This in turn makes air temperatures several degrees higher than they would be if the soil was moist.
As well as hotter temperatures than usual, the dryness and increasing heat could spell danger for the Prairies as wildfire season approaches.
"These dry and warm conditions will likely lead to a higher risk for large, rapidly spreading fires across the southern Prairies," Anderson said.
Last month, a report by Farmers' Almanac warned it would be a "sizzling summer," across western parts of Canada towards the middle to end of July.
