80 EXTRA BEDS IN TORONTO

The city is gearing up for another freezing night by declaring an extreme cold weather alert, with temperatures expected to plummet below -25 degrees Celsius.

David Rodgers, a senior meteorologist with Environment Canada, said this evening that the mercury will dip down to -20 degrees by late tonight and could hit -29 degrees with the wind chill.

"It'll be a pretty chilly morning," Rodgers said.

To prepare for the icy blast, the city has opened an additional 80 beds at homeless shelters to get people off the streets.

Francine Antonio, a city spokesperson, said several more vans are patrolling the city to transport people to the shelters.

"We are mobilizing additional support services," she said. "The priority is to ensure the homeless have a warm place to sleep."

Antonio added that while - on a normal winter night - shelters usually expect a 93 per cent occupancy rate, tonight they we will see that number rise dramatically.

This extreme cold weather alert is the eighth this year.

During the last alert on Feb. 20, 59 of the 80 emergency beds at shelters were used.

After a chilly night and morning, Rodgers said relief is on the way. Temperatures are expected to rise throughout the afternoon tomorrow, hitting -10 degrees by mid-day.