Many Torontonians returned to work Tuesday donning little more than light coats after enjoying spring-like weather over holidays that saw record-breaking highs on the first day of 2007.

The balmy temperatures are expected to continue for the rest of the week, with Friday forecast to reach a high of 9 C. Temperatures typically hover around –1 C to –9 C at this time of year.

A Torontonian enjoys the sunshine during a lunch break Tuesday outside Metro Hall.
(Dwight Friesen/CBC)

Last year saw the warmest December on record, with much of the month marked by rainy, mild weather.

Monday saw that trend continue with a high of 9.2 C, breaking the city's New Year's Day record set in 1979 by a slim 0.1 C.

People across the city spent the first day of 2007 outdoors. 

The streets were full of pedestrians and cyclists, while hundreds of people dove into Lake Ontario for polar bear dips.

David Phillips, Environment Canada's senior climatologist, told reporters the city also set a new low for snowfall in 2006. The 30 centimetres that fell was about half of the previous record for the least snow in a year.

Meanwhile, residents of some B.C. areas battled rain and gale force winds, with Environment Canada issuing rainfall warnings for southern parts of the province and heavy snowfall warnings for the province's Interior.

With files from the Canadian Press