Iqaluit sweats in record heat wave
Daytime temperature reaches over 26 C in Arctic city this week

Summer heat that is fairly typical in other parts of Canada is a rare phenomenon in Iqaluit, which is in the middle of an Arctic heat wave. Residents say daytime temperatures consistently above 20 C have never been felt before in the Baffin Island region, where the Nunavut capital is located. The mercury went up to a sizzling 26.8 C Monday, which Environment Canada said is the warmest reading on record for the city. Tuesday's daytime high was 23.1 C. "It's been very interesting and very warm for the last week or so," said Brian Proctor, a meteorologist with Environment Canada. "We have set record records in Iqaluit on Saturday, Sunday and Monday."

The previous heat record was set on July 29, 2003, when the temperature went up to 26.1 C. Forecasters are calling for a daytime high Wednesday of 21 C and an evening low of 9 C. Normal temperatures for this time of year are 12 C during the day and 4 C at night. Proctor said the soaring temperatures are due to high pressure systems in Ontario and Quebec, as well as wind blowing from the northwest. Unlike in the winter months, Proctor said, winds from the northwest blow in hot air in the summer. Environment Canada is expecting similar temperatures to continue into the weekend.

_{Bron: CBC News}