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
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.