Weather this weekend good for enjoying newly opened splash pads, meteorologist says

Toronto is expected to have a mostly dry and relatively warm weekend and that means it'll be a good time to go to splash pad, says an Environment Canada meteorologist.

As of Saturday at 12:01 a.m., splash and spray pads reopened in the city and across the province, along with other outdoor recreational amenities, including golf courses, driving ranges, sports fields, tennis and basketball courts and skate parks.

The weather is expected to co-operate as residents take advantage of newly opened outdoor amenities, according to Henry Fung, a meteorologist with Environment Canada in Toronto. The provincial stay-at-home, however, remains in place until June 2.

"It's looking mostly dry for the whole week other than a couple days of showers," Fung said on Saturday. "It's going to be a nice weekend, a mix of sun and cloud, mostly dry, so it should be a great weekend for people heading outdoors."

Fung said the average temperature for May 22 is 20.1 C and Saturday's temperature was forecast to reach a high of about 28 C, which is above seasonal. The forecast had been calling for a risk of a thunderstorm but that was looking much less likely, he said.

The forecast calls for a warm Saturday night, with a low of 19 C, and a 30 per cent chance of showers early in the evening.

As for the rest of the weekend, it will be mainly dry and cooler at night with a cool down coming on Monday, he said.

The forecast calls for a high of 26 C on Sunday, a mainly cloudy day, with a low of 14 C at night. On Monday, the forecast calls for a high of 18 C, a mix of sun and cloud, and a low of 14 C at night.

Fung said the weather will get warmer on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the high temperature forecast to be 25 C on both days. 

The forecast is calling for a 40 per cent chance of showers on Tuesday and a 60 per cent chance of showers on Wednesday. At night, it is expected to reach a low of 16 C on Tuesday and 11 C on Wednesday.

On Thursday and Friday, it will cool back down again below 20 degrees, Fung said. The forecast calls for a mix of sun and cloud on both days, with a high of 17 C on Thursday and a high of 16 C on Friday.

Fung said there is a large ridge of high pressure in the U.S. that is driving the weather in Southern Ontario. 

Work underway to open splash pads, city says

In a news release on Friday, the city of Toronto said it had hoped to open more than 70 out of 140 splash pads by Saturday unless crews encountered mechanical issues. Splash pads not yet opened will be opened as soon as possible, it said.

"The work involved in readying the splash pads for public use includes going to each location to set timers, turn on water, inspect each splash pad for safety and identify hazards as well as cleaning," the city said in the release.

Residents are urged to keep two metres away from people not in their households and not to use splash pads when feeling ill. They are also urged to use good hand hygiene and come back at another time if the splash pad is crowded.

"Turning on the splash pads always brings so much joy for young people across Toronto and is an early sign of summer in the city," Mayor John Tory said in the release.

"I want to thank all the city employees who are working to quickly open up outdoor amenities including as many splash pads as possible. I encourage all residents to get outside this weekend to safely enjoy the splash pads that have been activated and other outdoor amenities while respecting the public health advice."

Splash pads are open daily from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and are activated through push-button features.