Temperatures in Southern Alberta have been teetering around the 30-degree mark for the last ten days, and when you factor in the humidex those temperatures have felt even hotter.

Environment Canada Meteorologist Dan Kulak says that humidity can have a major impact on how hot it actually feels outside. He says that when humidity comes into play, it becomes more difficult for people to find relief from the heat.

"When you have warm temperatures and high humidity at the same time it reduces the amount of sweat that can evaporate from a person's skin. Sweating is a cooling process and when you have a reduced ability to sweat, your body tends to get warmer. Just like wind and windchill in the wintertime, the heat and humidity come together in the summertime and make it feel warmer in most circumstances."

Kulak says that the weather pattern has changed a lot over the years here in Southern Alberta with an increase in humidity over the last few summers.

He says that extreme heat and humidity can lead to serious health ailments for people as well as pets.

"Heat can be a significant threat to life. Putting pets, children and elderly people in vehicles on warm days, those warm vehicles can turn into life-threatening situations in the number of minutes that is less than the fingers on your hands. It does happen that fast."

Temperatures are expected to reach 28 degrees in Cochrane this afternoon, but our ten-day stretch of hot, humid weather is coming to an end.

Temperatures are expected to drop about ten degrees over the next couple of days and we have some rain in the forecast too.