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
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.