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 Former Air Canada employees among suspects identified in gold heist at Pearson Airport: police
Nine people have been arrested in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year, Peel Regional Police said Wednesday.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archaeological site in southwest France.
10 years in U.S. prison for Canadian man who stole millions with fake psychic fraud
A former Montreal resident has been sentenced to 10 years in a United States federal prison for a multi-decade fraud that manipulated more than one million Americans into sending money to fake psychics.
'Enormous sum of money': Actor Hugh Grant settles privacy lawsuit against tabloid
British actor Hugh Grant has settled a lawsuit against the publisher of Rupert Murdoch's tabloid newspaper, The Sun, over claims journalists used private investigators to tap his phone and burgle his house, he said on Wednesday.
O.J. Simpson was chilling with a beer on a couch before Easter, lawyer says. 2 weeks later he was dead
O.J. Simpson's last robust discussion with his longtime lawyer was just before Easter, at the country club home Simpson leased southwest of the Las Vegas Strip. About a week later, on April 5, a doctor said Simpson was 'transitioning.'
Some of the winners and losers in the 2024 federal budget
With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget, winners include small businesses and fintech companies while losers include the tobacco industry and Canadian pension funds.