Marilyn McGill might not remember what exactly she did or where she was on first weekend of October last year.
But she is sure of one thing. She was definitely not at the beach because it was too cold to spend the day on the shorelines of Lake Ontario.
This weekend, however, is different.
It doesn’t feel like fall at all and the summer-like temperatures have blanketed southern and northeastern Ontario, so she and her friend Kim Dennis decided to spend Saturday at the Lakeview Park Beach in Oshawa, Ont.
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“We're just amazed. We just can't believe it's this warm in October,” McGill said. “We spend every weekend down here all summer and this is just like a plus."
"Love it," she added.
Though the beach wasn’t as busy as it is on summer days, visitors who came there on Saturday afternoon were enjoying it to the fullest. Some sat on camp chairs, others lied on their stomachs, sunbathing to absorb some vitamin D while chatting with friends or reading books.
“It's beautiful…look how clear the water is,” McGill added as the waves hit the shores.
Rob Kuhn, a severe weather meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the normal high temperature for the first week of October is between 15 and 17 C, but this weekend’s highs could reach around 27 to 30 C across southern Ontario.
Such weather patterns aren't unprecedented, he said.
“I have personally seen warm spells like this last three or four days in the first week of October before, but it doesn't happen very often, so this is not typical,” he said in a phone interview.
“These temperatures are more like the average temperatures in July.”
The highest temperature recorded in southern Ontario was 30 to 31 C and the highs of this weekend could get close to that or even set new daily records for Saturday to Monday in some areas including in Toronto and Ottawa, he said. Toronto's high was just over 26 C Saturday, while Ottawa nearly hit 27.
Kuhn said some areas in northeast Ontario, such as Sudbury, Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie, will also experience hotter than normal days with the temperature ranging between 26 and 29 C.
He said while the unseasonably warm weekend is a chance for Ontarians to spend time on the beaches before it gets cold, beachgoers should be aware that the water might not be as warm as the air feels.
"It's perfect for going to the beach, enjoying a midsummer day in October,” he said.
"The water in the Great Lakes will not be as warm as it was in the midsummer, so they should be aware of that, but it may still be, you know, decent enough that some folks might actually go in or at least wade into the water.”
The temperature is expected to drop Wednesday to near normal for early October after possible showers Tuesday, Kuhn said.
In Oshawa, McGill and Dennis were discussing whether to spend Sunday on the beach as well.
Dennis, who lives in Oshawa, said she is a frequent visitor of Lakeview Park Beach between April and September but this her first October visit.
She said she was enjoying her day at the beach, chatting with her friend, sunbathing and taking some pictures.
"It's nice because we do have Indian summer," she said.
She said she saw the forecast on the news, adding "we're hoping that we could break some records."
But Dennis's enjoyment comes with some concerns about the global warming.
“I can't imagine that's good for the environment as we go forward,” she said. “Like it's not normal to be this warm in October. We should have fall-like weather.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2025.
