Ottawa breaks a heat record by reaching 30 C on Thursday

Just eight days after an ice storm coated the capital, a 78-year-old daily heat record was brokenThursday in Ottawa though Environment Canada saysthe heat won't last.

The recordfor April 13 was set in 1945when the mercury hit 26.7 C.

Ottawa's April 13 average high is around 10 C, according to Environment Canada. It passed that before9 a.m. Thursday at the international airport.

When it hit 21 C at 11 a.m, it became the hottest day of the year so far. Just two hours later, the record for April 13 was broken. It peaked at 30.2 C, less than a degree from Ottawa's hottest April day on record: 31.1 C in 1990.

The forecastedovernight lows for the next fournights are all around that usual high of 10 C.

"We've got winds from the south bringing very warm air,"said Geoff Coulson, ameteorologist with Environment Canada.

He said the longer range forecast models show things will return to normal starting next week and continue that wayfor the rest of April. Monday's forecasted high is currently 9 C.

"It's not to say we won't get a few days [that are] warmer than normal, but overall the trend seems to be things settling back to more seasonal values."

Pursuit of the patio

Restaurants have hastily built patios throughout the downtown to take advantage of the warm weather while it lasts.

"We're looking forward to it," said Bob Firestone, who was setting up the patioatBlue Cactus Bar and Grill in the ByWard Market on Wednesday.

"It's not often we get this weather this early. It gets warm, but not that warm."

Firestone says residents have "the most hunger for patios in Canada" andexpects business to be booming.