GET READY FOR THE HEAT
Warm weather spurs warning
Health professionals in the Lower Mainland are warning the public to take extra precautions in the face of an impending heat wave and smoky air quality.
On Sunday, Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for the south coast region because of a “massive” ridge of high pressure that will build over the area and lead to several days of hot weather this week, starting today.
Daytime highs are expected to hit the mid- to upper 30s in the Fraser Valley, Howe Sound-Whistler and inland Vancouver Island. All-time high records for the month of August could be broken.
A change in wind direction is also expected to bring smoke from forest fires in the B.C. Interior down to the Lower Mainland.
Fraser Health medical health officer Dr. Andrew Larder said Fraser Health doesn’t track heatrelated illness on an ongoing basis, but studies show that emergency room and doctor’s office visits, along with mortality rates, go up during times of extreme heat.
Everyone is at risk for heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, but Larder said pregnant women, children under the age of five, seniors, people with chronic health conditions, people with mental illness and those who are socially isolated are most vulnerable. Vancouver Coastal Health medical health
officer Dr. Meena Dawar issued a similar warning Monday.
B.C. seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie said seniors have different levels of vulnerability.
As we get older, our circulatory systems are less robust than they used to be and we don’t sweat as effectively, which makes it harder to cool down. Existing illnesses and some medications can make seniors more sensitive to heat as well.
Mackenzie said she’s particularly concerned about seniors who live in older and highrise apartment buildings that are not air-conditioned and where it is difficult to cool off. Closing the shades, opening windows, using fans and avoiding using the oven are some ways to keep a home cool if there is no air conditioning.
“This is not a condition we usually experience for a long period of time, so we’re not equipped for it,” Mackenzie said.
Mackenzie said people should be vigilant about checking in on elderly friends and family members and watch for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, such as disorientation.
Union Gospel Mission spokesman Jeremy Hunka said people without homes are extremely vulnerable to hot weather, particularly because their health is already compromised by living on the streets and when the heat hits they can quickly develop heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
“I think not a lot of the public understand the risks that come with this extreme heat especially for a vulnerable homeless population,” Hunka said.
“If they have multiple health issues or mental health issues and the heat hits, it adds a whole new layer of risk onto an already really teetering situation.”
In addition to providing water and washrooms at its reception centre, UGM has an outreach team filling up trunks of cars with water and juice to hand out, along with sun-protection items such as hats. They’re also warning people about the risks that come with extreme heat.
The B.C. SPCA has received 591 calls to rescue dogs in hot cars throughout the province so far this year, and now that the hot weather’s hit it’s anticipated the organization will receive a record number of calls for the year.
Pet owners are urged to leave animals at home if they are doing an activity that will require them to leave their pets in the car. It can take as little as 10 minutes for a dog to suffer heat stroke and die in a parked car, even if it’s in the shade and the windows are open.
Metro Vancouver issued a preemptive air-quality advisory Monday and staff will be watching the weather patterns closely throughout the week.
Smoke prompted Monday’s warning, which is valid for today, because winds that normally travel from the coast to the Interior are expected to switch direction.
Ground-level ozone will be an issue later in the week as temperatures increase.