The heat is on in Winnipeg, as it has never been in at least 140 years.

David Phillips, the senior climatologist at Environment Canada, said the city has just come off the warmest 12-month period since record-keeping began in the 1870s.

"So when I crunched the 12 months together, I thought oh my gosh. This has been the warmest year on record in Winnipeg," he said.

"There has never been 12 months in a row where it has been so balmy in Winnipeg. So I think it's a celebration."

The time period examined by Phillips is from the end of July 2011 to the same time this year.

But it really stretches beyond that, he added.

"What's impressive is that it is relentlessly warm. In fact, the past 14 months, 15 months have all been warmer than normal."