While most of the BC remains under a special weather declaration as the first hot weather of summer rolls, the board has been upgraded to a heat warning for the lower continent.
Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a warning for the Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Howe Sound subways on Sunday morning, saying it was expected to take effect by Monday.
Following last year’s deadly heat dome that killed hundreds of British Colombians, the British Columbia Centers for Disease Control, Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health have turned to social media, urging people to take the heat warning seriously.
“Preventive things like hydration, shade, sunscreen … these are the standard precautions we recommend. Avoiding long periods of time in direct sunlight,” said Troy Clifford, president of the British Columbia Ambulance.
Clifford said that in addition to the potential surge in heat-related illnesses, paramedics are likely to be preoccupied with more accidents, falls and water accidents due to the good weather.
He urged people to be careful, especially around lakes and rivers and wherever alcohol is consumed.
For most of the region, temperatures are expected to range from medium to high 20s near water and low 30s inland, but Fraser Valley is expected to see daytime highs near 34 C and lows at night in tall teens. according to the warning.
This combination of high and low values meets the heat warning criteria, says Environment Canada, noting that elevated temperatures increase the risk of heat-related illnesses.
BURNING THE GEAR
Some locals who live in homes without air conditioning are creative to beat the heat.
Rowan Robson’s east, fourth floor, faces south, and the sun begins to beat the windows around 7:00 a.m. and heats his apartment throughout the day.
“It’s getting pretty hot,” he said as he showed CTV News an air conditioner he made from an old beer cooler and some supplies he took from the hardware store.
The small device uses a pair of fans to circulate air around several packets of ice inside the cooler before discharging it back into the room.
“So here we have two pipes and it essentially blows the air under the ice packs and recirculates, and then it fires it back and hopefully it’s a little colder than normal,” he said.
Robson already had the cooler and estimates he spent about $ 90 on the other components.
The hot weather also means increased snowmelt in the mountains and increased flows in local rivers and streams due to runoff, the meteorological agency added, urging people to seek localized information from the BC River Forecast Center and Avalanche Canada.
“Temperatures are expected to return to near-normal levels by the middle of next week, as cooler, unstable air masses are pushing the land out,” said Environment Canada.
The heat warning is not the same thing as an extreme heat emergency that the province experienced during last year’s record heat dome.
However, both scenarios can cause heat-related illness, especially in children, the elderly and other vulnerable members of society.
Environment Canada reminded British Colombians to monitor the effects of heat-related illnesses such as “swelling, rash, cramps, seizures, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and deterioration of certain health conditions”.
“Drink plenty of water even before you feel thirsty and stay in a cool place,” the agency said.
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