Warnings issued for B.C.'s South Coast amid brief heat wave
Much of the B.C.’s South Coast is under a heat warning with temperatures expected to soar.
Health officials are warning people to be wary of heat-related illness for the next few days.
Environment Canada says the mercury will climb as high as 35 C inland and 27 C near the water on Wednesday and Thursday.
Warnings have been issued for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast and Howe Sound.
Parts of Vancouver Island and further up the coast, as well as the Fraser Canyon and Thompson regions, are also impacted.
“A strong ridge of high pressure will bring a short-lived heat wave to British Columbia. Temperatures are expected to moderate on Friday,” said Environment Canada in an advisory.
Because of this, heat-related illness is a real danger, Environment Canada said.
Some of the symptoms include rash, cramps, fainting, exhaustion, heat stroke and the worsening of some health conditions.
Younger children, older adults, pregnant people, those with chronic illnesses and anyone working or exercising outdoors are most at risk.
Those who live alone and people who are marginally housed are also more impacted.
Several cities across in the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions have opened cooling centres to offer relief.
“The hottest time of the day will be late afternoon to early evening. Extreme heat affects everyone,” said Environment Canada.
Preliminary data from the B.C. Coroners Service revealed that 16 people died during the record-breaking heat wave that arrived late last month -- most were seniors.
However, temperatures this summer have not reached the highs that were seen during last year’s heat dome that led to more than 600 deaths.
“In my 34 years, I have to say that is the worst event that I've ever seen for the loss of life. And because of that fear, the provincial government and everybody, the citizens, we're all watching out for each other better than we ever have,” said Doug Lundquist, a meteorologist for Environment Canada.
“It's sad that it had to come to that, but that's part of what's going to happen with climate change. Maybe this is a warning to us, that we have to expect really unexpected things in the future,” said Lundquist.
He says it’s important to ensure adequate warnings and information get out there without causing unnecessary fear.
Lundquist believes the B.C. Provincial Heat Alert and Response System introduced back in June is working well so far.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is a key component of that.
“We talked to a lot of people, our provincial partners, our municipal partners, we talked to a lot of people so the message is getting out there. We're still ironing out bugs, of course,” he told CTV News.
He believes collaboration and communication have never been better. But says there is always room for improvement.
Officials are urging the public to check on their neighbours and loved ones over the next few days.
They're also reminding people not to leave kids or pets in the car.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.