Sunny days coming to the North Peace this week, according to the heat warning issued by Environment Canada alerting residents of the moderate risk to public health these high temperatures pose.
The warning came into effect as of 5 a.m. on July 30 and is expected to continue for the rest of the work week, the agency said as the B.C. Day long weekend begins this Saturday, temperatures will return to the seasonal standard.
Environment Canada’s warning extends through the Peace River region and into Fort Nelson as the “building ridge of high pressure” brings warmer weather.
Residents with air conditioning in their homes are advised to turn it on and those who live in the city’s older apartments and houses can try closing blinds, then turning a fan on. The environmental agency specified fans must have access to cooler air to blow in order for them to be used effectively.
In response to the heat warning, Dawson Creek opened a cooling centre in the city’s Nawican Bergeron Youth and Culture Centre, it will be open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. through August 1. Visitors are also welcome to grab a light refreshment as they chill out.
Fort St John is not offering cooling centres, however, people are invited to use the city’s facilities to cool off.
Environment Canada warned any residents who are sweating heavily, feel faint, have a rash or cramps, and a high body temperature that they are likely experiencing heat illness.
Seniors aged 65 and older, pregnant people, and young children are among some of the groups Northern Health cautioned as more susceptible – they recommended these groups create a plan for hotter days.
Northern Health emphasized the risks of heat stroke, a harsher iteration of heat illness, and reminded residents of the potential for negative health effects from overheating.
Anyone experiencing extreme thirst with decreased bathroom breaks and unusually dark urine, and rapid breathing and heart rate is advised to cool down immediately and seek emergency care as they likely have the more severe of the illnesses.
