Frigid temperatures in Toronto as polar vortex sets in

People wait to cross a street in Chinatown during a cold and windy day in Toronto on Thursday, January 10, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette (Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Environment Canada says temperatures in Toronto may be colder than those seen in the last “several years” as a polar vortex begins creeping south.

Sunday’s high isn’t expected to rise above the -7 C mark and the mercury will drop into the negative double digits later this evening, according to the national weather agency.

The wind chill will make it feel like -20 overnight before the cold really sets in to start the work week -- when temperatures aren’t forecast to climb above -10 C until at least Thursday.

“Be prepared for very cold conditions,” Environment Canada said in a bulletin. “Temperatures may be colder than those that have been seen the last several years. Remember frostbite can develop in minutes on exposed skin. Keep dry to stay warmer.”

The normal high for this time of year is -2 C, according to the weather agency.

Most of northern Ontario is currently under an extreme cold warning, with the wind chill values in some areas expected to feel like a frigid -50.

No warnings are currently in place for Toronto, but a cold weather alert has been issued west of the city in Hamilton.

The bitterly cold air is part of a disrupted polar vortex that’s moving south, which is expected to bring the chill far into to the U.S. as well.

Toronto’s five warming centres are currently open amid the cold snap and information about their locations can be found here. It’s two so-called “surge sites” will open when the temperature drops to – 15 C, which is expected to happen as early as Monday evening.