UPDATE: Thursday Estevan recorded its hottest temperature on August 20 ever but just barely according to Environment Canada. The hottest recorded date was in 1991 at 34 degrees even. Thursday afternoon snuck by at 34.2 degrees, marking the second day in a row Estevan recorded a heat record.

 

On this day in 1992, Estevan recorded its hottest temperature for August 19 ever, at least for as far back as Environment Canada had been keeping data. The thermometer hit 35.8 degrees without the humidity on that day. That record stood for 28 years, until today. 

At 2:50 PM, a quick look at Environment Canada's website showed the temperature (no humidity factored in) was a scorching 37 degrees celsius. If true, that would mean Estevan just went through its hottest August 19 ever. 

"We could see some records fall, we did see a number of them fall yesterday," said Environment Canada regional meteorologist Terri Lang, when asked about the possibility of Estevan setting a record. "We could see a number of them fall over the next couple of days. Estevan is close, but we'll see."

It's important to note that when it comes to temperature records, humidity doesn't factor in. That doesn't make the humidity any more pleasant to deal with, but if you see a temperature breaking a record with the humidex, then that won't count.  

"The humidex doesn't contribute to the temperature," Lang said. "It's like windchill. People say, 'Oh, it's minus 40 out there!' It doesn't change the temperature. The wind doesn't change the temperature, and same effect with the humidity."

Of course, that doesn't mean you won't notice humidity even if it doesn't leave any marks on the record book. According to Lang, the higher the humidity, the harder it is for people to regulate their body temperature by sweating.

"The humidex is just a feels-like temperature," she elaborated. "That's why you don't see a degrees Celsius on it, just like windchill doesn't have a degrees Celsius on it. It's an index like the UV index."

Estevan may set another temperature record tomorrow, as the current hottest August 20 is 34 degrees. As of now, the forecast for tomorrow calls for a high of exactly that number. But Lang did offer some good news for those seeking a reprieve from the heat. 

"It does look like cooler air will be moving in," she said. "By cooler, I mean less than 30 degrees, so it will feel relatively cooler. We're still running above seasonal averages. Seasonal averages for this time of year are highs of around 24 and overnight lows of around 10. So we're still in this warmer pattern."