How to stay cool without AC: Expert gives tips ahead of B.C.'s first hot stretch of summer
After a cooler-than-usual spring, many British Columbians are welcoming the province's first hot stretch of the summer this weekend.
While temperatures aren't expected to soar to levels seen during last summer's deadly heat dome, there are still dangers associated to warmer-than-average temperatures, especially if you don't have air conditioning.
Dr. Sarah Henderson, scientific director of environmental health services at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control tells CTV News that one of the ways people can stay cool is by spending time in air conditioned places.
"Places like shopping malls, movie theatres, libraries, community centers, that sort of thing," she says.
When it comes to keeping your home cooler, Henderson suggests pulling your blinds down first thing in the morning, so you don't gain more heat through your windows.
"Close your windows in the morning so that you trap the cooler air indoors," she says. "Then when it gets cooler outside again in the evening and it gets breezy, open everything right up to bring that cool air into the house."
Henderson says turning on fans, including the ones in your bathroom and kitchen, will also help move cooler air into your home so that you start the next day at a cooler temperature.
As for keeping your body cool, Henderson adds that it's important to stay hydrated.
"Drink lots and lots of water, even if you don't feel thirsty," she says. "Put a T-shirt under some water and wring it out and put it on. That really helps to cool you down as well as taking a cool shower, bath or anything that will just help your body stay as cool as possible."
According to Environment Canada, communities in B.C.'s Interior could see temperatures reach the low to mid-30s this weekend.
Metro Vancouver is forecast to see daytime highs hitting the 30s as well.
"When we are not acclimatized to these warmer temperatures yet, they have a slightly bigger impact on our bodies than when we've had a couple weeks of warmer weather, so we do expect people are going to feel this," says Henderson.
She adds that the primary risk of the hot weather is getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
"The human body likes to be 36.6 degrees," she says. "You want to keep an eye on the signs of overheating...headaches are often one of the first indicators of your body telling you that it's getting too warm."
Henderson says hot weather is especially concerning for seniors.
"As we get older, our bodies are less able to thermo-regulate and that's the process the body uses to keep that core temperature at 36.6 degrees," she says.
Recent findings from the coroner's report into the heat dome revealed nearly everyone who died was indoors and most were seniors, many of whom lived alone.
"We do want to keep an eye out for older people in warmer weather because they're going to have a harder time staying cool than younger and healthier people," says Henderson.
Henderson is also warning people who plan to get outside this weekend to be careful of the sun.
"It's the first real sun exposure of the year so remember a hat, sunscreen and long sleeves if you're really sensitive to the sun."
Henderson is also warning hikers that with the warmer temperatures, also comes the risk of snow melt.
"There's still quite a lot of snowpack in the mountains and that's going to start melting really quickly, so we're looking at potential flooding in some areas," she says.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Penny Daflos
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Israel closes Gaza crossing after Hamas attack and vows military operation 'in the very near future'
Israel closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza on Sunday after Hamas militants attacked it, reportedly wounding several Israelis, while the defense minister warned of "a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza."
Denial and uncertainty are looming over a Biden-Trump rematch 6 months out from U.S. Election Day
Exactly six months before Election Day, Biden and Trump are locked in the first contest in 112 years with a current and former president competing for the White House. It's a race that is at once deeply entrenched and highly in flux as many voters are only just beginning to embrace the reality of the 2024 campaign.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Chemical spill could be cause of stinky water in Puslinch, Ont., new report says
People living in Puslinch, Ont. may have the answer to why their water smelled so bad last year.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Should you save or splurge on makeup this summer?
If you're wondering whether you should splurge or save when it comes to buying skincare products and makeup this summer, we got some answers for you.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.