'Significant heat wave' prompts weather warnings for several parts of B.C.

Vancouver -

Another heat wave is expected to send temperatures soaring in British Columbia this week, prompting several warnings for the South Coast and Vancouver Island.

Environment Canada described the approaching weather event, which is forecast to arrive Wednesday and continue until Sunday morning, as a "significant heat wave," urging residents to stay hydrated and find somewhere to stay cool until temperatures subside.

"A strong ridge of high pressure will start developing today and reach maximum strength Thursday and Friday, resulting in very hot temperatures," the weather agency said in a warning Tuesday.

"The duration of this heat wave is expected to last at least three days, and little relief is expected at night with elevated overnight temperatures."

Daytime highs of 35 C are expected in parts of Metro Vancouver, before factoring in humidity, while temperatures could reach 38 C in the Fraser Valley.

Officials said humidex values during the heat wave will reach "the high 30s to possibly the low 40s" in some areas of the Lower Mainland.

Environment Canada urged B.C. residents living in the areas under heat warnings to check in on older family, friends and neighbours and never leave people or pets inside parked vehicles.

The B.C. government faced criticism for its handling of the deadly heat wave that struck in late June, but ramped up its response to the next heat wave that arrived at the end of July.

During that weather event, the province offered funding for communities to open cooling centres, increased paramedic shifting and redeployed hospital staff to brace for an influx of patients suffering from heat-related illness.

June's record-breaking heat wave saw temperatures in Lytton top the all-time high for Las Vegas, and left hundreds of people dead across B.C.

A group of international climate scientists determined such an event would have been "virtually impossible without human-caused climate change."