It's officially summer in the city and it might just be the hottest day of the year. According to Environment Canada, temperatures are expected to soar to 34 C this afternoon. With the humidex, it'll feel even hotter.

Thankfully, Toronto is providing us with some relief. If you don't have air conditioning, you can head to one of the city's seven cooling centres, which are open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. If none of these are nearby, a visit to your local library or community centre will do the trick.

During extreme heat alerts, eight public pools keep extended hours. Today, you can take a refreshing dip until 11:45 p.m.

While the very young, very old and those with certain illnesses and conditions are most vulnerable to the heat, these high temperatures can be dangerous for everyone. Drink lots of water (or other cold drinks) and avoid over exerting yourself outdoors.

And, don't sweat it, by Saturday it'll be a cool 24 C.

How will you beat the heat today? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Alex Korittko in the blogTO Flickr pool.