For the first time in 18 years, Vancouverites are getting to enjoy a May long weekend without rain.
“The sun and the heat and the Vitamin D are very, very welcome,” said one man who was outside enjoying the good weather on Saturday.
“I think it’s (been) too long,” said 16-year-old Rianna Espada, who wasn’t even born in 1999, the last time the city saw a sunny Victoria Day long weekend.
People across the city were out jogging, playing tennis or just relaxing on the beach on Saturday.
But experts say the benefits of exposure to sunlight go far beyond just enjoying the outdoors.
“There’s actually evidence to prove that the sunshine actually comes in through our eyes and actually increases our level of something called serotonin, which is a brain chemical that actually makes us feel better,” family physician Linda Tai told CTV Vancouver.
And doctors say the extra Vitamin D also has health benefits.
“Vitamin D probably isn’t going to affect mood, but Vitamin D is more important from probably a bone point of view,” Tai said. “It keeps our bones stronger. There is some evidence that Vitamin D is also probably helpful in preventing certain things like cancers as well.”
According to Environment Canada, the sunshine is expected to last until Wednesday with temperatures in the high teens and low 20s.
A detailed forecast is available on the agency’s website.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Michele Brunoro
