The surface temperature in the Western basin of Lake Erie is currently 26 C, and in some places, it is more than 30 C, according to data from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Agency of the United States (NOAA).
The average temperature for the lake on July 31 is around 24 ° C, according to Data on the NOAA website.
“It is not a record, but it is certainly impressive, especially taking into account the great spring we had,” said Mike McKay, director of the Environmental Research Institute of the Great Lakes of the University of Windsor.
The temperatures in the lake were 2 C below the average of 30 years only three weeks ago in mid -June, McKay said, so it is surprising to see it heating so fast, especially taking into account how much energy is needed to raise the temperature of the water.
The warm climate sustained in the region is the culprit, he added.
Windsor tomorrow6:29Parts of Lake Erie already have 30 C and summer is young
We are still in early summer, but Lake Erie is really warming up. Mike McKay is the director of the great lakes of the University of Windsor Insitute for environmental research.
Monitoring the temperature in Lake Erie is important, McKay said, because the water temperature is a taxpayer to the formation of green blue algae, which can produce toxins that cause itching, irritated eyes and symptoms of skin and flu, such as headaches, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomites.
“One of my colleagues published an article in … science a few years ago called ‘Blooms Like it hot,” he said.
“And it is true: cyanobacteria, green blue algae … often prefer temperatures greater than 25 C”.
But the temperature is not the only taxpayer to the flowers, he said.
Water nutrient loads are a more important factor.
“We had a relatively dry spring, which meant less nutrients in the western basin, which means less fuel for these algae flowers,” McKay said.
TO forecast Launched by the National Centers of the Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency for the Sciences of the Coastal Ocean on May 8, only soft to moderate bluish green algae flowers predicted by 2025.
The temperatures in the lake vary considerably, McKay added.
In general, it is warmer in the western basin, colder in the center and a little fresher in the eastern basin.
Even within these areas temperatures fluctuate.
“As of this morning, approximately an hour, Sturgeon Creek’s temperatures were 25 C and outside Hillman Marsh 24.4,” he said.
