How to stay cool during B.C.'s heatwave: Health Canada
Vancouver Island residents are being warned of an upcoming heatwave that could push temperatures into the high 30s this weekend.
With temperatures already on the rise, Health Canada has several tips on how to stay cool during the record-breaking forecasted heatwave.
Health Canada recommends:
- Drinking lots of cool liquids, particularly water
- Wearing loose, light-coloured clothing and wide-brimmed hats
- Apply plenty of sunscreen
- Avoiding strenuous outdoor activity, and taking frequent breaks in cool areas
- Monitoring yourself and others for signs of heat-related illness, including: dizziness or fainting, nausea or vomiting, headache, rapid breathing and heartbeat, extreme thirst, decreased urination with unusually dark tallow urine, and changes of behaviour in children such as sleepiness or temper tantrums.
- If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the above symptoms while in extreme heat, Health Canada recommends calling 911 immediately. While waiting for help, it's recommended that you move into a cool place, apply cold water to large areas of skin or clothing of possible, and fan the individual.
To prepare your home for heat, Health Canada suggest making sure that devices such as fans, ceiling fans and air conditions are working. If it is safe to do so, you can also leave your windows open overnight to let cooler air in.
Health Canada also recommends that you have friends, neighbours, or family members check in on you in case you need help.
People who are most at risk of suffering from a heat-related illnesses are people aged 65 or older, infants and children, and people who perform physical work outdoors, according to the health agency.
"Give your body time to recover after being in the heat," says Health Canada. Meanwhile WorkSafeBC is reminding employers to make sure there are procedures in place at work sites during hot conditions.
"In the last three years, there have been almost 100 accepted claims for work-related injuries caused by heat stress — and these are preventable injuries," said Barry Nakahara, senior manager of prevention field services at WorkSafeBC in a statement Wednesday.
"We’re reminding workers and employers to take steps to prevent heat stress. This includes reducing exposure to the sun wherever possible, drinking lots of water, wearing the right clothes, and taking rest breaks in cool, well-ventilated areas," he said.
Heat warnings are in effect for most of B.C.'s coast, including Greater Victoria to Nanaimo, Courtenay, Campbell River, the southern Gulf Islands and inland Vancouver Island communities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
BREAKING Critical injuries to 7 people in Sharbot Lake, Ont. crash
Ontario Provincial Police say seven people have suffered severe injuries in a single-vehicle crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont.