Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m., the temperature hit 18.7 C at the Region of Waterloo International Airport, setting a new record for the warmest March 10.

The previous record was 16.3 C set in 2021.

It’s “rare” to see the temperature that warm at this time of year, said Eric Tomlinson, a warning preparedness meteorologist from Environment Canada who confirmed the new record.

An annual contest through the University of Waterloo’s weather station asks people to predict the first 20 C day of the year.

The earliest the weather station ever recorded the first 20 C day of the year was March 8, 2000 at 12 p.m. The latest day was May 13, 2020 at 3:15 p.m. The last time a 20 C day was recorded in March was 2012. Since then, all 20 C days were recorded in April or May.

The warm and humid day in Waterloo region on Tuesday also saw the region under a rainfall warning with a risk of thunderstorms. Environment Canada’s yellow weather warning said the area could see up tp 40 mm of rain Tuesday evening into Wednesday.

Several communities in and around Waterloo region were under flood warnings Tuesday as well. The weekend’s warm temperatures, melting snow and rainfall resulted in elevated water levels across the entire Grand River watershed.