Current heat warnings cover most of British Columbia, and Environment Canada says the hot conditions have broken more than a dozen daily temperature records.
Fourteen records were set across the province on Tuesday, from Prince Rupert to Bella Bella, Ashcroft and across the Fraser Valley and South Coast.
The oldest record to fall was in the Agassiz area of the Fraser Valley, where the mercury reached 36.5C, almost a degree higher than the previous record set in 1899.
British Columbia also announced the top seven hottest spots in the country on Tuesday, including Lytton, which was the hottest spot in Canada at 40.2C.
It’s the first time this year that British Columbia has officially seen the heat climb above 40C, although the heat was not a record for Lytton, which set the country’s highest temperature at 49.6C last year, one day before a wildfire to destroy a village.
In addition to heat warnings for temperatures up to 41 C for much of the central and southern interior and conditions only slightly cooler elsewhere in British Columbia, the weather service maintains air quality advisories for eastern parts of Metro Vancouver, the lower valley Fraser and Fraser Canyon.
Forecasters say sunlight is reacting with pollutants to create high concentrations of ground-level ozone east of Vancouver, potentially causing breathing difficulties for pregnant people, children, outdoor workers or anyone with conditions such as lung disease or asthma.
Potential for heat stress
According to WorkSafe BC, more than a third of heat stress claims last year came from people who worked indoors. This week people are advised to stay cool, hydrated and out of direct sun.
“Last year, WorkSafe BC received 115 claims from workers related to heat stress. That’s a 180 percent increase in claims from each of the three previous years,” WorkSafe BC Senior Manager Suzana Prpic said on CBC’s The Early Edition.
Parks and beaches in Vancouver quickly filled up with temperatures in the area creeping up to 30 C. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
She said employers should provide workers with a cooling room with working air conditioning and personal protective equipment such as heat-reflective clothing or water-cooled suits.
“See if the work can be done in a cooler environment,” she said.
Environment Canada says air conditions, especially over eastern Metro Vancouver, are unlikely to improve until the end of the week.
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