Fall has officially arrived in Toronto — at least according to the meteorological calendar. But don’t put away those Bermuda shorts just yet.
Sept. 1 is the start of what has been dubbed meteorological fall, which divides the year into consistent three-month seasons: fall runs from September through November. Astronomical fall, meanwhile, doesn’t begin until the autumn equinox on September 22.
And judging by the forecast, Toronto is in no hurry to embrace autumn, anyway. So a better word might be second summer.
The city is starting September with summer-like heat and humidity, with temperatures climbing into the upper 20s and a risk of thunderstorms. The first few days of the month are expected to remain warm and muggy before temperatures settle closer to the mid-20s later in the week.
The early autumn outlook shows a slow but steady transition rather than an abrupt switch to the chillier sweater season. The Weather Network is forecasting a generally warmer-than-normal September across much of Canada, with an extended stretch of late-summer conditions expected before autumn gradually takes hold.
For Toronto, that could mean more warm days for patios, cycling, hiking and outdoor events well into September, followed by the more familiar cool mornings and crisp but bright afternoons as October approaches.
In other words, fall is officially here, but summer isn’t quite finished with Toronto yet.
For those traditionalists, the astronomical version of fall arrives Sept. 22. By then, the city may finally be starting to feel that way.