MORRISBURG – One of the hottest and driest summers on record has set off alarm bells across various agencies in the region. Nearly zero rain has fallen in SDG since the beginning of August, making South Dundas and Eastern Ontario a tinderbox.
The last rain recorded in South Dundas was July 27. That was on the tail end of a nearly week-long heat advisory. Most of August has been also under a heat advisory.
This latest heat wave is expected to ease off Wednesday (August 13) with only a day or two of relief forecast before temperatures push past 30 Celsius this weekend.
South Nation Conservation increased its Low Water Response level to “Level 2” which means water flows in its watershed are 50 per cent that of normal low water flows for the season.
North Dundas Township, which already has water supply issues, implemented an outdoor water use ban on August 5 for its municipal water system users. That township’s fire service is providing limited non-potable water for gardners at some of its fire stations on a first-come, first-served basis.
Municipalities across Ontario from the Muskokas east to the Quebec – including South Dundas – have put total fire bans in place. Bonfires, campfires, and in many cases even charcoal grilling/barbecuing is prohibited.
The St. Lawrence Parks Commissioned banned the use of all wood fires/charcoal, limiting cooking options to propane-based sources at all its day-use and campgrounds. Many Ontario Parks and Parks Canada areas also have fire bans in place.
Water quality on the St. Lawrence has also been affected by the heat and lack of rain. The Eastern Ontario Health Unit, which tests the water quality at certain beaches in the region has declared the Morrisburg, Iroquois, Riverside Cedar, Crysler Park, Farran Park (Ingleside), Glengarry Park (Lancaster), and Island Park (Alexandria) unsafe for swimming. High levels of bacteria, specifically E. Coli mean the water at these beaches may pose serious health risks. The Municipality of South Dundas reported August 13 that the beaches in Morrisburg and Iroquois were again safe for swimming.
The extreme heat advisory, also issued by the EOHU, has made the choice easy for people using the beaches, as dozens were observed throughout the heat waves at the Morrisburg and Iroquois beaches in the water despite the EOHU advisory in place.
The health unit advises those at risk, including young children, those with respiratory issues, and the elderly, to find cooler shelter during the heat advisory.
This August is trending to be the driest in the last 10 years. August 2018 saw only 44.4 millimeters of rain fall in the month. Last August (2024) set a 10-year record high for precipitation, with 142.2 mm falling.
Water levels on Lake Ontario and the Upper St. Lawrence River including through to Lake St. Lawrence remain stable, however evaporation on the lower portions of the river system including Lake St. Francis and Lake St. Louis have water level advisories in place near Montreal and at the Montreal Harbour. Water levels on Lake. St. Lawrence were measured at 73.56 metres (241.34 feet) on August 11, sightly higher than average for this time of year.
Localized temperatures observed in Morrisburg ranged between 35-37C on August 11. Another ridge of high pressure is expected to turn the heat back up by the weekend.
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