TORONTO -- An extreme cold weather alert has been issued for the city of Toronto with temperatures forecast to plummet to -28 C with the wind chill overnight.

Environment Canada says temperatures will drop throughout the afternoon on Thursday before reaching a low of -19 C overnight. With the wind chill, it will feel like -28 C.

The cold weather will continue through the day on Friday. Environment Canada say at 9 a.m. it will be -15 C and feel like -25 C.

It is forecast to warm up to -8 C later in the day.

A warming centre is open at Metro Hall on John Street for the duration of the alert and will close at 12 p.m. on the day the alert is ended, the city said.

Temperatures are expected to warm up for the weekend, with a high of -2 C on Saturday and 1 C on Sunday.

Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health issues an extreme cold weather alert when Environment Canada forecasts a temperature of -15 C or colder and when the wind chill is expected to reach -20 C or colder.