Our current conditions page packs in a lot of numbers. Here’s a quick guide to the ones that matter most, and what they tell you.
Temperature and feels-like
- Temperature is measured in the shade, a couple of metres off the ground.
- In winter, wind chill shows how cold it feels on exposed skin. In summer, humidex shows how hot and humid it feels.
Wind and gusts
- Wind speed is the average over the last few minutes. Gusts are the short, strongest bursts. On windy days, the gust number is the one to plan around.
- Direction is where the wind is coming from. West and southwest winds bring chinooks. North and northeast winds usually bring the cold.
Pressure and its trend
- Falling pressure often means wind or unsettled weather is coming. Rising pressure usually means clearing and calmer weather, though a sharp rise can bring strong north winds.
Dew point and humidity
- When the temperature drops close to the dew point on a calm night, expect fog or frost.
- Dew point is a better measure of how muggy it feels than humidity.
Rain
- The daily total tells you how much fell. The rain rate tells you how hard it’s coming down right now, which matters for flooding.
For graphs, records and more detail, see the Detailed Weather page.
Related: Current conditions · Detailed weather