Environment Canada has come out with its summer weather outlook, calling for above normal temperatures for the months of June, July and August. Senior Climatologist David Phillips says that follows the trend set in May.

Looking back at the spring of 2016, Phillips says April was quite cool and certainly was a reversal from what had been several consecutive months of above normal temperatures. He notes there was the fear that May might follow suit, but then came May 5th. It was on that day that temperature records fell across the province. The Kleefeld weather station peaked at 33.9 degrees that day and according to Phillips, it was the single hottest day between January 1st and May 5th ever recorded in our province. By the time the month of May was over, the average temperature was 2.3 degrees warmer than normal.

Phillips says the heat in May proved quite significant for farmers. He notes May produced about thirty per cent more thermal units for growing food than April did. And as for precipitation, Phillips says rain amounts were near normal last month in the Steinbach area. He says with the heat being forecast for June, July and August, combined with the precipitation we have already seen, it should be a very good season for crops.

According to Phillips, southern Manitoba has not experienced a significantly hot summer since 2012. It was that year that 21 days reached at least 30 degrees. Phillips says a normal summer will have 11 such days. He notes since 2012 we have had we he refers to as "lukewarm" summers.

The forecast for above normal temperatures is agreed upon by weather agencies around the world. In fact Phillips says forecasters from all sorts of agencies, including private services, United States government and even in Europe are all saying the same thing; warmer than normal for southern Manitoba. As for precipitation, Phillips says coming up with a long range forecast for rain is tough to do.

"I don't have a credible timely accurate forecast for precipitation," he says. "Anyone who issues one I just don't think they are telling the truth."

Phillips says don't expect the above average temperatures for at least a few more days. With a high of only 14 degrees forecast for Wednesday, that is 9 degrees below normal for this time of year. But he says by the weekend we should have near normal temperatures and there is sunshine in the forecast.

Meanwhile, we are no longer under the influence of an El Nino. In fact, Phillips says that all changed in April. And Phillips warns that historically a super El Nino is followed by a La Nina. Though not as powerful as an El Nino, Phillips says a La Nina produces opposite weather. As a result, he says we can expect a return to a more normal fall and winter for southern Manitoba.