Nearly all of B.C. under weather advisory amid first heatwave of the summer
Nearly all of British Columbia is under a special weather statement, as the first hot stretch of summer finally arrives.
It’s a change being welcomed by many after weeks of cold, dreary weather, but the warmer temperatures bring a number of safety warnings.
"We know we're not acclimatized to warmer weather yet,” said Dr. Emily Newhouse, a medical health officer at Fraser Health.
She urges people to use this weekend to prepare for more extreme heat, which is expected to arrive later this season.
"We want people to think about, 'is my home going to get too hot during the heat event? Should I be making plans to go somewhere else?’” Newhouse said.
She encourages people to keep cool in buildings that have air conditioning and stressed that a heat plan is especially necessary for those who are high-risk, including seniors, people who have pre-existing health conditions and those living alone.
She also urges everyone to check in on their loved ones and have others check in on them.
The South Coast will experience Inland temperatures in the upper 20s.
Through the weekend and into early next week, temperatures in the low 30s are forecast.
“There will be some respite from the elevated daytime temperatures as overnight lows fall into the mid-teens,” said Environment Canada in an advisory.
Officials are warning people to watch for signs of heat stroke.
Symptoms include nausea, dizziness and headaches.
Those experiencing confusion or vomiting are urged to call 911.
This weekend also marks the one-year anniversary of the record breaking heat dome that killed more than 600 British Columbians, though this weekend won’t be nearly as hot.
Most of those deaths occurred indoors in homes that did not have air conditioning, something the majority of Metro Vancouverites do not have because of the province’s typically mild weather.
But B.C. is becoming increasingly more dependent on it due to climate change.
A new report from BC Hydro shows AC use increased by about 50 per cent over the past decade, from a quarter of British Columbians using it at home, to nearly 40 per cent.
“Almost 60 per cent of British Columbians said they're feeling really anxious, understandably after last year's extreme heat event. And this has led to more British Columbians upgrading their AC or purchasing an AC,” said Susie Rider of BC Hydro.
Many people are expected to have their windows open over the next few days, so paramedics are telling parents to be wary.
Three children have already been treated at B.C. Children’s Hospital this year after falling from a window or balcony.
The hospital treated 16 kids for those types of falls in 2021 and two of them died.
“The key is to ensure that your window doesn't open more than 10 centimeters, the average child can fall through a window opening as small as 12 centimeters,” explained Dr. Rob Baird, the trauma surgical director of B.C. Children’s Hospital.
Temperatures are expected to return to near-normal levels by the middle of next week as a cooler, unsettled air mass pushes onshore.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.